The Things That Happen
by zilly-pill
Summary: Riddick's back and he's looking for Jack. But does she really want him around? Definitely not...right? Adventure...among other things...ensues. Forgive the really terrible summary. Rated for language and content in later chapters. Last chapter is up.
1. Riddick's Return

_Author's Note: This starts about an hour into "Chronicles of Riddick"; right after Riddick is lowered into the slam on Crematoria. I didn't like the necromongers in the movie, so I decided they didn't exist. I apologize if that offends. I'm really nervous about putting this up here, so bear with me. Please read and review, but most of all, enjoy._

Riddick swung himself over the railing and onto the walkway. Instantly, an arm was around his shoulders, a familiar shiv pressed against his throat.

"How do I get eyes like those?" a throaty female voice whispered in his ear.

"Jack." Riddick tried to pull away, but he was jerked back against a decidedly female body.

"Jack's dead, Riddick. You killed her." The cold steel of the shiv pressed dangerously against his throat; then it was gone. Riddick heard the blade sliding back into a sheath. He turned to see the woman standing behind him. She was pressed against the rock wall, staring at him through narrowed eyes. She wore a stained white top, black pants, and heavy boots. Her long brown hair was twisted up in a messy knot on top of her head, a few strands curling haphazardly around her face.

Riddick raised an eyebrow, waiting. They were sizing each other up. Finally the woman's eyes widened. Riddick caught a glint of silvered green before she turned away. Shrugging, he followed. The two moved down the walkway until they reached a cell. Swinging open the door, Jack motioned Riddick inside and closed the gate behind them both.

The cell was a cramped hole in the wall, with a few crude outcroppings in the way of furniture. There was a shelf of sorts, large enough for Riddick to lay down on comfortably, situated in a natural alcove. The bed was exactly the same as the shelf, except someone had thrown blankets on it.

"So," she said finally. "You came back." Quirking a brow, she busied herself around the small room.

"Jack," Riddick started.

"It's Kyra. I told you, Jack's dead." She pulled the shiv and sheath off the waistband of her pants. Then she sat down and looked at him. "What do you want?" When Riddick didn't reply, she began studying her hands in the dim light of the cell. There were candles all over, but only a few were lit. Taking off his goggles, Riddick sat next to Kyra and looked down at the top of her head.

"I said I'd come back, kid," he said finally. Kyra's head shot up and she made a rude noise.

"That was five years ago," she shot back, her silvered eyes flashing. Riddick was sure of their color now. They had been green; he remembered that from T2. They were still green, just with a light coat of silver over them. The reason for the lack of lighting in the cell suddenly became clear. He raised a brow, but didn't say anything. "Five years is a long time. Lots of things can happen."

"What happened?" Riddick held Kyra's eyes, trying to draw her out. At first, she didn't answer. She glanced quickly toward a small shelf carved into the stone wall.

"Let's just say I killed a few people," she said softly, hauntingly. That wasn't exactly the truth; she'd only killed _one_ person. But what did it matter? She had still wound up here; rotting in this slam…Kyra shook her head. That was over and done with. Standing up, she crossed to the cell door and looked out at the other prisoners, bustling up and down Crematoria's many underground levels. She had spent a long time here – too long. And she had spent too much of that time waiting for Riddick, wondering when he would rescue her. _Well, that's over now. I can rescue myself,_ she thought.

"Do you know what those sick fucks did to me?" Kyra growled suddenly, whirling to face Riddick. Her eyes were bright with remembered pain as she gestured out her door to the slam's mass of humanity. "They tried to rape me." She fought to breathe. "I was just seventeen years old and they tried to rape me." She paused, taking a deep breath and forcing her voice into a more normal register. "And when they couldn't do that, they tried to kill me." _I waited for you! I fought back because I thought you would come for me._ Accusations were screaming through Kyra's mind, but she kept her face calm.

"How long've you been here?" Riddick looked around the cell, noting the signs of Jack – _Kyra_, he corrected himself – carved out of the barren rock walls.

"Too long," she replied. Suddenly, all the fight went out of her. She leaned against the door and slid to the ground. She sat with her legs pulled against her chest, her arms crossed over her knees, and her head resting in the hollow her body made. Frowning, Riddick pulled his goggles back on and watched her. How long _had_ she been here? Checking his memory, he recalled her saying something about being seventeen…how old was she now?

"How long is 'too long'?" he asked, finally. Kyra mumbled a response that he couldn't hear because her head was still down. He waited.

Finally, she lifted her head a tiny bit and repeated, "A year and a half." Riddick gave a low whistle. _Long time for a kid like you,_ he thought. "Do you know what it's like to celebrate your eighteenth birthday in the slam?" She gave a smile that stopped far short of lighting her silvered green eyes.

A loud ringing echoed off the stone walls, filling the prison and making Kyra start. Sighing, she pushed herself to her feet. She crossed in front of Riddick to another small shelf in the rock. The confines of the cell forced her so close to him that he caught a trace of her scent. Surprised, Riddick noted that she smelled of fear. What was she afraid of? He watched her as she grabbed a small ceramic plate and her shiv.

Turning to face him, she asked, "Are you hungry?" He didn't answer. Sighing and rolling her eyes, Kyra led him out of the cell and down the walkway to a set of stairs. They climbed up for a while – Riddick didn't count the levels. When they stopped, he could see a mob of hardened men and women milling around. Checking for her shiv, Kyra pushed her way into the crowd.

Riddick was following her; she could feel his eyes fixed on the back of her neck. She wondered idly if he thought he needed to protect her. That made her grin; she had made her way here long enough. Waving at an older man across the room, Kyra took her place in line. Riddick fell in behind her.

They waited in silence, the line moving slowly. Kyra could smell the foul reek of the slop the wardens passed off as food. "God, what I wouldn't give for something other than this," she muttered, wrinkling her nose. As they passed in front of a steaming pot of stew, she felt bile rise in her throat and forced it down. A man in stained cook's whites slapped a large spoonful of disgusting looking gruel on Kyra's plate, then motioned her to keep moving. Suppressing a shudder, she worked her way through the crush of people toward the stairway. Riddick followed, keeping alert for any possible threats. When they were safely situated on a landing a few levels down, he glanced at the slop Kyra was choking down. She looked up guiltily, her fingers covered in the greasy stuff; they didn't trust convicts with utensils. Biting her lip, she hesitantly offered him the plate.

"Thanks." Riddick grasped the plate and frowned as Kyra flinched away from him. Scooping up a mouthful with his fingers, he licked his hand clean. "You don't need to be afraid of me, kid," he said after he swallowed. She wouldn't meet his eyes.

"I'm not," she whispered. Riddick snorted. _Yeah, right_. Kyra's chin lifted and her expression firmed. "Why would I be afraid of you?" He raised an eyebrow as she finished the last of the slop on her plate, licked her fingers, and stood. She mimicked his expression, then turned and started down the stairs. A small smile curled up the edges of his lips as he followed.

Riddick couldn't help admiring Kyra as they made their way back to the cell. She walked like a predator – all loose-limbed grace and carefully controlled power. She'd done all right here, he figured. She'd survived, and more importantly, she hadn't gotten bitter.

When they reached the cell, Kyra pulled the barred door closed behind them and locked it. "Feeding time soon," she said, answering Riddick's unspoken question. _Feeding time?_ he thought; but he kept his mouth shut, sitting down on the bed. He would find out soon enough. Kyra sat next to him, leaning back against the wall and watching him with wary eyes. They could both hear the commotion going on all around them in the crowded prison.

"So." It was Kyra who broke the silence. She fidgeted, but kept looking at Riddick. He looked right back at her, waiting. He always seemed to be waiting. "Are you here to rescue me?" she asked.

"Doesn't look like you need rescuing," he said flatly. Kyra blinked, surprised.

"That's right." Riddick relaxed back onto the bed, cradling his head in his clasped hands. "So why are you here?"

"I said I'd come back for you."

"We've been over that already. You came back. Now what?" She leaned her head back and closed her eyes; her foot tapped absently against the floor.

Riddick opened his mouth to answer, when a discordant clanging interrupted him. _What the-?_ Sitting up, he stared out the bars as someone started to scream. Kyra quickly moved around the cell, blowing out the few candles that were lit, plunging them into complete darkness.

"Feeding time," she whispered. A large animal strolled past the cell, stopped, sniffed, then moved on. "It's a great security system." Another one of the animals bounded past, going the opposite direction; Riddick heard a blood-chilling scream in its wake. "They let the cats loose – I _think _they're cats, anyway. Keeps the population down and prevents escapes." Kyra held herself stiffly as she moved to the shelf-like seat. Lying down, she curled up on her side and tucked her head against her chest. Riddick was struck by how young she seemed right then. Not Kyra – Jack; just a sacred kid in a scary situation. Pulling his goggles off, he watched her as she pressed her hands over her ears and squeezed her eyes shut.

The growls of the cats, the cries of the dying, and the fleshy thumps of the bodies went on all around them, echoing crazily. Indifferent, Riddick crossed the tiny cell to Kyra. Carefully, awkwardly, he gathered her into his arms and cradled her against his chest. She was shaking and making little pathetic moaning noises in the back of her throat. Not quite sure how to comfort her, Riddick smoothed the stray strands of hair away from her face. He wondered if she always reacted like this. Shaking his head, he put it out of his mind and slowly rocked back and forth, holding Kyra securely against him.

-

Kyra awoke the next morning to find herself curled up on a sleeping Riddick's lap. Frowning slightly, she tried to disentangle herself from his arms; it wasn't possible. He was protecting her, even as he slept. Letting out her breath in an exasperated sigh, she relaxed and contemplated the man she had waited for for so long. As he slept, Riddick looked peaceful; still dangerous, but more at rest than Kyra had ever seen him. She wondered if he dreamed about T2. Her nightmares had plagued her since their escape. Some nights, she would wake to find herself under the bed or shivering in a corner, soaked to the skin with sweat and hiding from imaginary predators.

The worst of her night terrors had faded over time, especially as Kyra forced memories of T2 out of her mind. But here on Crematoria, here in this hell, it had all come back – the terror, the memories, all of it. During feeding time, when the cats were out, it was all she could do to not scream like the prisoners caught by the huge animals.

Sighing, Kyra pushed the thoughts behind a locked door in her mind and focused on other things. What was Riddick going to do, now that he'd come back for her? Turning her gaze on the man in question, she found his disconcerting silver eyes looking down at her. Kyra stared back for a moment. When had he woken up?

"Uh – good morning?" she offered, blinking. Riddick nodded, loosening his protective grip on her. Immediately, she slipped off his lap and sat next to him. "Sorry about last night," she tried again. "I'm not usually that bad," she lied. Riddick nodded again and stood. Retrieving his goggles from the bed, where he'd left them the night before, he pulled them on and turned back to Kyra.

"Flashbacks?" he asked.

Blushing, Kyra responded, "Yeah." Riddick nodded and looked around to survey the cell. Dim light filtered in through the bars of the door, casting everything in an eerie light. The few shelves carved out of the walls were cluttered with bric-a-brac and little oddities. _Little pieces of her_, he thought. There was her little ceramic plate; here a small, carved wooden box. He could feel Kyra watching him, so he sat on the hard bed and turned his attention on her.

"Now what?" she asked. Riddick didn't answer. Leaning back against the wall, Kyra wondered why she even bothered. _It's like talking to a brick,_ she thought, growling. Getting up, she unlocked the cell door and swung it open. She stood on the threshold and watched the slam waking up. The smell of someone's early morning cigarette reached her and she inhaled deeply. Tobacco was a luxury – one Kyra had been forced to give up after the mercs had caught her. She heard Riddick come up behind her and considered turning. Deciding against it, she stayed watching the start of the day. The smells of a strong cigar and various blends of pipe tobacco floated past her, drawing a sigh from somewhere deep in her soul.

Riddick cocked his head slightly to one side and breathed in Kyra's scent. There was no fear this morning, only something light and natural. _Apples._ He didn't know where that came from, but that's what it was; he didn't even know how it was possible in this hellhole. Kyra smelled like apples. Shaking his head slightly, he cleared his throat.

"I went to see holy man."

"Really?" She turned, smiling slightly. "How is he?" Riddick shrugged and Kyra raised an eyebrow.

"Alive," he said at last.

"Good. Imam is a decent man." She paused. "Did he tell you where I was?" she asked hesitantly. Riddick nodded and Kyra let her head drop back against the stone wall. She absently rubbed her right arm with her left hand. Her eyes were closed as she pursed her lips. The silence spun out between them indefinitely.

"Alright," Kyra said suddenly. "This has got to stop. You're here. Great. Now what?" She turned her penetrating silver-green eyes on Riddick and waited.

"What do you think about getting off this rock?" he asked. Startled, she just stared at him for a moment.

Then – "I could live with that," she said.


	2. Plans

_Author's note: Thank you so much for all your wonderful comments. I'm not quite so nervous about my second offering for you reading pleasure. Please read and review, but more than anything, enjoy._

_Disclaimer: I wish I owned them - I would have made millions. But, alas, I don't._

Riddick and Kyra sat in the cramped cell and worked on their plans, losing track of time. When the bell rang for the meal, they didn't even pause. Feeding time came and went and Kyra only flinched as the first of the cats went by her door. Only when the slam was quiet for the night did Riddick lean back against a wall and consider the results of their labor.

"You think it'll work?" Kyra asked, looking up at him from her spot on the floor. The soft candlelight glinted in her eyes. Riddick hesitated for a moment, looking over the crudely drawn diagrams and charts again before answering.

"Yeah." _But she's gotta know that shit won't pan out like this when things start happening._

"When?" The last of the cats growled as it padded by the front of the cell. Kyra shivered.

"You tell me."

"The cats get let out just after surface dark," she muttered. "They have to circulate the air first. Maybe, if we're quick, we could make a run for it then." Riddick nodded. _Smart girl._ "I know some people-" He waited. "Maybe they could help." He gave her a wary look. "They're good people, I swear."

"Later," he said. Kyra yawned. "You need to sleep," Riddick added.

"Yeah. Probably." She yawned again and crawled onto the seat. Riddick watched her curl up slightly as she lay on her side; she was asleep almost instantly. Listening to Kyra's deep, even breathing, he moved around the cell, extinguishing candles and covering the sleeping girl with a blanket. Then he took off his goggles, lay back on the bed, and went to sleep.

-

Riddick woke to someone pounding on the bars of the cell door.

"Kyra!"

He opened his eyes at the hoarse cry and immediately closed them again with a hiss of pain. Someone was shining a light into the cell. Groping blindly for his goggles, Riddick growled. When he brushed his fingers over them he pulled them on and blinked, adjusting to the light.

"Kyra, wake up."

"What?" Kyra sat up and squinted. "Arthur?"

"Let me in. We need to talk."

Sighing, she glanced toward Riddick and cringed. "Turn off that light," she growled.

"Sorry." The light clicked off and Riddick could see a small, older man standing anxiously outside the cell. Kyra swung her feet to the floor. Moving across the small stone room, she unlocked the door. She motioned Arthur back and swung it open.

"What is it, Arthur?" she asked, rubbing a hand over her face and pushing her fingers into her hair. Riddick's attention was caught by how beautiful she looked, standing in the doorway, framed in a halo of dim, ambient light. Her long, brown was tumbled around her shoulders and her face was rosy from sleep. She had grown up a lot in the past five years. Startled, he forced those thoughts from his mind and focused on the small man speaking rapidly to Kyra.

"Trey's been watchin me, Kyra. He's been comin around my cell just before feedin time, tryin to get his money. I don't have it!" The man paced the small room running agitated hands over his nearly bald head.

"Slow down, Arthur." She rubbed the bridge of her nose and squeezed her eyes shut. "How much do you need to hold him off?" she asked finally.

"I can't ask you that," Arthur said, looking startled.

"That's why you came bangin on my door, isn't it? You need the credits to keep him off your ass." Arthur didn't say anything; he wouldn't meet Kyra's eyes. Riddick raised an eyebrow and shot her a glance.

Clearing his throat, he said, "How much, old man?"

Arthur whirled around, startled. "Who're you?" he demanded.

"Don't worry about him. How much, Arthur?"

Keeping his eyes on Riddick, he muttered, "Seven hundred."

Kyra sighed. "You know what I need," she said. Arthur nodded.

"Thanks." He shot Riddick another wary look and hurried out of the cell. Kyra swore softly and slammed the door.

"Seven hundred credits." She slapped her hand against the wall. "Where'm I gonna get that kind of money?" Prowling the room, she talked to herself and tried to make a plan.

"How much've you got?" Riddick's question surprised her and she turned to face him.

"Not enough. Right now, I don't think I can ever cover half of that." She paused. "Especially after the nine hundred last month," she muttered. Riddick gave her a look that clearly stated what he thought of that. "I know, I know. He's probably a scam artist…" Kyra trailed off and frowned. "That doesn't solve how I'm getting those credits." Riddick reached into his pocket and pulled out a small card.

"Here." He handed it to her. Kyra scowled at him.

"I can't take that, Riddick," she snapped.

"It's not mine." He rose and pressed the card into Kyra's hand. The he just stood there, holding her delicate fingers clasped in his large palm. Her hands were rougher than he thought they would be; he could feel small calluses on the ridge of flesh under her fingers.

Kyra cleared her throat and Riddick blinked. Grunting, he stepped back and sat down.

"Take that, switch the credits to your account. I'll take care of the old man," he said. Kyra raised an eyebrow, but stayed silent. She watched as Riddick stepped out of the small cell and onto the walkway. Shaking her head, she pocketed the card and absently rubbed her hand on her pants. She could still feel Riddick's hand engulfing hers; still feel his rough fingertips caressing the skin of her wrist. A strange tingling sensation shot up her arm, warming her whole body. Shivering, she focused her mind away from Riddick; there were other things to worry about.

-

Riddick prowled the walkways and stairwells, looking for…something. He was fuming, both at Kyra and the old con man – what was his name? _Arthur_. Suddenly, Riddick's anger had a direction. Turning abruptly, he stalked back toward Kyra's cell. He rounded a corner and his silver eyes flashed. There was Arthur, surrounded by a group of hardened-looking men. He was laughing and talking like he hadn't a care in the world – not about money, anyway.

"…So I skinned her for seven hundred." The old man chuckled.

"How much've you gotten in all, Art?"

"Shit, more than three k," he bragged. Riddick pulled up against the wall to listen. He waited, barely restraining his fury. When the conversation was over and the men around Arthur moved away, Riddick struck. In an instant, the older man was pinned against the rock wall.

"You made three big mistakes, _Art_. First, you messed with the kid." Riddick pulled off his goggles and locked his eyes with Arthur's; he could smell the fear radiating from the smaller man. "Second, you did it in front of me. Pissing me off isn't a good idea. Third," he paused, waiting. "You let me catch you alone." Arthur gave a pathetic little whimper just before Riddick's shiv slashed down his chest, slicing open the man's dirty shirt and leaving a shallow cut in his flesh. The blade was pressing dangerously against the exposed skin of Art's throat when the clanging signaling feeding time interrupted Riddick's concentration. He started, then an evil grin spread over his chiseled features. Dropping the old man, he growled, "That was a warning, old man. Don't let me see you again." _If you make it back to your cell alive._ Turning on his heel, Riddick strode down the walkway, back to the cell and Kyra.

He made it to the door, just as she was swinging it shut. "Where the hell have you been?" she muttered.

"Taking care of things." There was a scream from some unlucky soul on their level and Riddick grinned. Kyra shook her head and turned away.

"I'm not going to ask, because I probably don't want to know." She resettled herself on the seat and pulled a wireless comp unit onto her lap. "I've almost got the money transferred. What do I tell Arthur when he comes back?" Kyra looked up. Riddick stared back, innocently. "Oh." She turned back to the comp as he pulled his goggles out of a pocket and replaced them over his eyes. Keying in a few more codes, Kyra leaned back and rolled her head around her shoulders. She sighed and absently rubbed her neck muscles. A cat prowled by the cell, snapping at the bars. Startled, Kyra let out a little gasp and put a hand to her throat.

"Can you work on that thing in the dark?" Riddick asked. Shaking her head as if to clear it, Kyra made a small sound of assent. He moved around the room, extinguishing her few candles. Sighing again, Kyra pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes. The harsh light of the comp screen cast the natural alcove in an eerie blue glow. Riddick sat on the blankets piled on the bed, leaned back against the stone and watched her.

Kyra muttered to herself as she carefully hacked her way into the banking systems. "Do you, by any chance, know the PIN for this mysterious card?" she asked Riddick without much hope.

"One, six, one, seven," he rumbled from his place in the shadows.

"What?" Her eyes, needing almost no adjusting between the bright comp screen and the dark cell, sought him out.

"One, six, one, seven," he repeated. Keying up the main access page, Kyra typed in the numbers. Instantly, another page popped up on the screen. She gave a low whistle and quickly transferred all the credits out of the account.

When she finished, she shut down the comp unit, plunging the cell into complete darkness. "Finished," she said. "You know, you could've been a little more helpful, there." Riddick raised an eyebrow and pulled off his goggles so he could see Kyra. "I mean, I could've been here for hours, just trying to hack into the bank systems enough to get the PIN." He shrugged.

"I'm here to help," he said.

"Just like you helped Fry?" she muttered. _Why had she said that?_ Maybe the exhaustion was getting to her…

Suddenly, Riddick was holding Kyra against the barred door of her cell. One of his large hands lightly encircled her throat, and the other arm was between her legs, supporting her weight. "Leave Fry out of this," he growled.

Shocked by Riddick's reaction, Kyra swallowed hard. "Sorry." She looked toward the ground, about two feet below her. "Can you let me down?"

"You don't know anything about that, kid. Don't ever make the mistake of thinking you do." His grip loosened and she dropped to the floor; he didn't let her go.

_That's bullshit._ She may have only been a kid, but she remembered. Why the hell did she wake up in the middle of the night stifling screams, if she didn't know anything about it? Jerking her chin up, she narrowed her eyes. "I know plenty. Don't forget it," she spat.

Lifting a brow, Riddick gripped her tighter. She wanted to fight, did she? Well, fine. _Let's go, kid._ "Like what?"

"Let me go."

"No." Kyra's eyes darted to the seat and her favorite shiv. Well, she'd just have to make do with what she had…

"You made one mistake, Riddick," Kyra growled, cautiously feeling around in her mouth for one of her hidden blades. "You pissed me off." In one quick, fluid motion, she leaned in and used her tongue and teeth to manipulate the small shiv; a thin line of blood traced across Riddick's cheekbone. He hissed in surprise, but didn't pull away.

"You're good, Kyra," he said. "But I'm still better." Instantly, she was, again, forced against the bars and lifted off her feet.

"Bullshit," she retorted. She tightened her thigh muscles around the arm Riddick was using to hold her up against the bars. Bracing herself with her legs, she pulled another small shiv out of a sheath strapped to the outside of her thigh. She pressed the blade to his throat and raised an eyebrow.

"Nice." Riddick released Kyra, watching as she gracefully dropped to the floor. "Now go to sleep. This place is getting on my nerves and I wanna get outta here tomorrow."

Muttering under her breath, Kyra moved to the bed and spread out the blankets. Lying down, she curled up on her side, facing the wall. Riddick grinned and leaned back against the rock, keeping watch. When the sound of her deep, even breathing convinced him that she was sleeping peacefully, he lay down on the seat and closed his eyes.


	3. Escaping Hell

_Author's note: Here is the third chapter. It took me some time, but here it is. This is for all of those who have left me comments. Thank you for the encouragement. I do apologize for any errors (grammtical, spelling, or typos) in this or any other chapter. Please read and review, but - as always - enjoy._

_Disclaimer: None of it's mine, as much as I may wish otherwise._

Kyra opened her eyes to see Riddick watching her. "Yeah?" she said, stretching.

"Time to get up. If you've got anything you want to take, pack it." He turned away from her and unlocked the door. "Be ready when I get back," he threw over his shoulder, then disappeared.

Kyra blinked and sat up. Glancing around the room, she snatched a small leather bag from a shelf over the bed. She tossed in her few clothes, her candles and matches, then she paused. The small, carved wooden box sat on another little outcropping of rock. Kyra reached for it, hesitating. Did she really want to take it with? Did she need it? Riddick was back now; she didn't need reminders. One of her fingers lightly traced a faerie carved into the lid of the box.

A sound outside her cell startled her. Quickly, Kyra grabbed the box and stuffed it in her bag as she whirled around. Riddick stood framed in the doorway. He raised an eyebrow. Kyra couldn't tell what he was thinking, especially with his goggles on. Gulping, she settled her bag around her shoulders.

"Yeah?"

"You ready?" She nodded and waited. The papers that Kyra has covered in plans yesterday were still scattered around the cell. Looking through them quickly, Riddick picked up the pertinent ones and motioned out the door. "Let's go."

Riddick moved out onto the walkway as he tucked the pages into a pocket. "We'll hang out somewhere near the control room," he said, gesturing with a jerk of his head. "When exactly do they go topside?"

Kyra strode along behind him and tried to keep up with the conversation. "What?" she asked.

"When do-"

"Just after full dark." They stopped in front of a stairwell and Riddick motioned her to go in front of him. She raised an eyebrow at the polite gesture. He mimicked her. Let her think whatever, he just wanted an excuse to stare at her ass. _God, she was hot._ Shaking his head, he followed her up the stairs. He had to stop thinking like that. This was Jack; Riddick got a mental image of the bald, goggled twelve-year-old she had been. Turning his eyes up gave him another picture.

Growling, he looked around Kyra and watched the levels go past. They were nearing the top. After this, they had only to wait for the right time. When Riddick felt that they were close enough to the control room, he told Kyra, "Here." She jumped gracefully off the staircase and waited, but didn't say anything. Hopping off after her, Riddick sat down and leaned back against the wall.

"Now what?" Kyra asked.

"Now we wait." He closed his eyes. "You might want to get some sleep before this shit goes down."

"I'm not tired. In fact, I just woke up." She felt like a child, being ordered around by Riddick.

"You will be. And I don't want to have to watch your ass as well as mine." Kyra pursed her lips and dropped to the ground.

"Fine." Taking off her bag, she used it as a pillow and curled up with her back against the wall. Riddick watched her and waited for night. The kid would be tired, no matter how much sleep she got. Maybe the little extra rest she'd get now would at least hold her over until they were out of this hellhole.

Kyra knew Riddick was keeping a sort of watch over her. She listened to his breathing and sighed. A sort of tiredness was stealing over her body. Yawning idly, she let her mind drift.

-

"Get up." Riddick's voice woke Kyra. She sat up, blinking and rubbing the grit out of her eyes. "Time to get moving," he said. Nodding, she grabbed her bag and slung it over one shoulder and across her body. She stretched her muscles as she stood and looked up. She could feel the soft, warm breeze circulating the stale air of the slam; the vents were open.

"Now?" she asked. Her strong hands were pulling her hair back from her face and securing it at the top of her head. Riddick nodded. Turning away from her, he jumped back onto the staircase and climbed up the few remaining flights. Kyra followed, checking to make sure all her shivs were in place. She had time to wish half-heartedly for a gun before Riddick stopped. He turned around and looked at her, pressing a finger to his lips.

The gate in front of them was chained and secured with a large padlock. Kyra moved to it quickly, pulling a lock pick from a pocket and dropping to one knee. She worked for a moment, then Riddick heard the tumblers turn and the lock popped open. Pulling it off the chain, she let it fall to the ground. The chain, she coiled up and put in her bag; they might need it later. Standing, she opened the gate and motioned Riddick through. He grinned and stepped into a dark, narrow hall leading to the control room. He knew Kyra was following right behind him. Good. Hopefully she would stay that close during the fighting.

The hall was shorter than Kyra had hoped. Forcing her terror down, she took a deep breath and nodded when Riddick looked back at her. She knew he could smell her fear; at least he didn't say anything about it. Gripping two of her shivs, she watched at Riddick kicked down the door. The battle had begun.

The room was full. Toombs and his crew were sitting around, mingling with the slam guards; all of them looked up as Riddick and Kyra burst into the room. Nine guns were instantly aimed in their direction. _Fuck_, Riddick thought.

Kyra reviewed the plan in her mind. There were too many; they couldn't take this many mercs. Suddenly, she heard Riddick's voice. _Stick with the plan. Whatever we find in there, stick with the plan until I say otherwise._ Giving a mental shrug, Kyra stepped to one side of Riddick and sliced the throat of the nearest person – one of Toombs' crew.

Riddick saw Kyra out of the corner of his eye and grinned. _Good girl._ She was sticking with the plan. Turning to his left, away from her, he grabbed one of the guards' pistols and twisted it out of his hands. He aimed carefully and shot. A slam guard hit the floor with a sickening noise. To his right, he could see Kyra; she was holding her own against another one of Toombs' crewmembers. Riddick aimed the guard's gun again, but the shot went wild as he ducked a blow from his left. One of the guards was clutching a knife, trying to plunge it into Riddick's chest.

"Nice try," he rumbled. Grabbing the blade and the guard's hand, he twisted, breaking the other man's wrist. Riddick grinned as the guard fell to the floor, screaming and cradling his injured hand to his chest. Stray bullets clanged off the walls around the control room. One of the shots took out the breaker box, plunging the room into almost complete darkness. Riddick pulled off his goggles and laughed.

"Not afraid of the dark, are you boys?" he heard Kyra call.

"Let's see how good your shine job is, kid," he called back. In the semi-dark he could see the door to the underground tunnel that led to the hangar. Turning back to the fight, he mentally reviewed the plan. He had taken down two guys, and Kyra had at least gotten one. The odds were getting more and more even by the second. Aiming the gun again, Riddick shot twice more, emptying the chamber. _Fucker wasn't fully loaded,_ he thought, surprised.

Kyra dodged a knife as she watched one of Toombs' crew and another guard fall to the floor. Whatever else she had to say about the man, he could sure shoot a gun. The slice of a blade opening the skin along her side brought her attention back to her attacker. Clutching her favorite shiv in a blood-slicked hand, she drove the knife up, into his stomach and under his ribs. Jerking it out, she slashed his throat and wiped sweat from her forehead as he fell to the ground. Counting the bodies sprawled on the floor she came up with seven; only two left.

Riddick came up behind Toombs and pressed his shiv to the merc's throat. "You should've taken the money, Toombs," he growled. Moving faster than lighting, he removed the blade and slammed Toombs' head into the wall. Let the merc die here on this rock, but not before he had a chance to experience what a hellhole it was. Riddick looked up and saw the one remaining guard had gotten the drop on Kyra. Silently, he came up behind the man and plunged his shiv into the sweet spot, just above the fourth lumbar vertebrae. He could feel the warm blood gushing over his hands and grinned.

The big guard dropped as Riddick slid the blade out of him. Kyra sat on the floor, trying to catch her breath.

"Let's go kid," he said. Crossing the room, he hit the button to open the thick metal door. There was a buzzing, then the panel slid back, revealing the underground tunnel. Still coughing, Kyra followed Riddick into the narrow passage. She looked back quickly as she keyed in the codes to lock the door behind them. In the glow of the emergency lights, she could see the damage they had caused – bodies, guns, and broken equipment lay everywhere. Kyra lingered for a moment, trying to understand what had just happened.

"I said, let's go kid," Riddick growled from somewhere up the tunnel. _We ain't out yet._

"Coming," she called out as she took off up the passage after him.

They hauled ass toward the hangar, Kyra pushing herself farther then she ever thought she could go. When they finally burst through the heavy door, she was out of breath and running on pure adrenaline. Riddick caught her as she stumbled down the steps to the main floor of the room. Supporting her, he led them over to Toombs' little skiff and set her down on a crate. He punched in the codes to open the ship, then keyed in the sequence to open the hangar door. Returning, he stood in front of Kyra, hesitating.

Suddenly, Riddick hauled her into his arms and captured her mouth with his. He kissed her hard, then let her go. "You did good," he said, turning and walking up the ramp leading into the ship. Kyra stumbled after him, collapsing in the nearest seat; she couldn't say anything. Noting her silence, Riddick turned to look at her. "Now what do you say we get off this rock?" he asked.

Swallowing hard, Kyra muttered, "I could deal with that."

-

Kyra was asleep by the time Riddick got the small ship set to the autopilot. How she had drifted off through all the commotion of that take-off, he wasn't quite sure. Turning, he took her in as she sat, curled up in the seat. Her hair was falling haphazardly around her face and blood was spattered or smeared on almost every square inch of exposed skin. Rising, he carefully buckled her in and sat next to her. Fastening his own safety harness, he rested his tired muscles.

Riddick had set the autopilot destination to Helion Prime. The holy man would be able to help them – or so he hoped. It would only take a day or so to get there, then Kyra could get some real rest and he could find them a better ship. Merc skiffs were great for short hops when there was nothing better, but Riddick wanted something with some legs on it.

Kyra made a soft noise in her sleep and pushed against her harness. Startled from his thoughts, Riddick reached over and unbuckled it, allowing her to turn on her side. His hand came away sticky and red. Frowning, he unfastened his belt and knelt on the deck next to her. There was a big gash up her side, slowly oozing blood. _Dammit._ Riddick gently shook Kyra awake. When she rolled her head to the side and opened her eyes he pressed a light, comforting kiss to her forehead.

"I need you to stay awake for a few minutes for me. Can you do that, Kyra?" he asked. She nodded. "Good. Stay awake, and don't move." Riddick stood and crossed to the back of the skiff. There had to be some sort of medic pack or something – wasn't that a requirement? _Fuck._ Just as he was about to give up, a dingy, battered-looking tin caught his eye. Pulling it out of its cubbyhole, he flipped up the top and sent up a prayer of thanks. In the tin were bandages and gauze, along with some sort of disinfectant.

Moving back to a groggy Kyra, Riddick helped her stand up and lift her shirt so he could see the cut. His lips compressed in a thin line as he swabbed disinfectant – peroxide, if he read the bottle right – as gently as he could into the wound. Kyra gave a hiss as the peroxide started to bubble and tingle. Riddick could see her hands shaking and he grimaced.

When the disinfectant had done its work, he wiped her skin clean and bandaged her up. Carefully, he helped her back to her seat and let her sit down. Her eyes closed and she was asleep again almost instantly. _One near-crisis averted_. Riddick resumed his seat in the pilot's chair and strapped himself in. Closing his eyes, he tried to rest for a little bit.

-

The ship was quiet when Kyra woke. She sat up and felt the bandage on her side. Searching her memory, she vaguely remembered Riddick telling her to stay awake and not move. Then a scene from the fight flashed in her mind – a giant, evil looking knife slicing up her side. Riddick must have taken care of her wound.

With that settled, Kyra stood and stretched. Riddick was sleeping in the pilot's chair, so the skiff had to be on autopilot. Sneaking silently around to look at the control panel, she saw Helion Prime locked in as their destination.

"Shit," she whispered.

"Language, Kyra." Riddick's deep rumbling voice startled her. Turning, she saw that he was watching her; he had moved the chair around when she had been studying the controls.

"Why are we going to Helion Prime?" she demanded. She had left for good reason and she didn't want to go back.

"Holy man can put us up for a few nights while I find a better ship." He unfastened his harness and stood, moving up behind her.

"We can't go. Set it to take us someplace else." She couldn't tear her eyes from the screen showing their destination.

"No."

"Fuck you," Kyra said, holding herself very stiffly.

"You kiss your mother with that mouth?" Riddick asked, leaning in as close as possible without touching her; his breath whispered past her ear. God, he wanted her.

"My mother's dead," Kyra breathed. Riddick could hear her heart pounding. Suddenly, she turned, sliding one of her shivs out of its sheath and pressing it lightly against his throat. "Just like you'll be if you don't back off."

"Now where's the fun in that?" he asked. "_Jack_."

Their eyes locked and held, each waiting for the other to break first. Finally Kyra squeezed her eyes shut.

"Fuck!" she shouted, throwing her blade across the room; it thunked into the padded section of bulkhead. Turning on her heel, she strode to the restraint chair at the rear of the ship. Riddick couldn't resist following. He stood in front of her, leaning close as she sat down. Kyra wouldn't meet his eyes; she just stared straight ahead.

"You're a bad ass alright," Riddick rumbled. "When you're on home ground." God, she was hot; even bruised, battered, and bloody, she still turned him on. He leaned closer, smelling her anger and arousal.

_Wait. What? Arousal?_

She wanted him.

Still, he couldn't help messing with her a little bit. "Now look at you," he muttered. "All back of the bus an' shit." Riddick jerked back as a tiny knife slashed out from between Kyra's teeth. He chuckled and shook his finger at her. "Play nice, Kyra." But he was proud; there was an animal in her.

"Where's the fun in that?" she asked, throwing his words back at him. Laughing, Riddick moved back to the pilot's chair and sat down.

"We'll be on Helion Prime in a few hours," he said. He turned the seat around to face the control panel. Kyra watched as he checked the autopilot and strapped himself in. "Try to get some more sleep, if you want," he tossed behind him.

Pursing her lips, Kyra grabbed her bag and began to dig through it. Her fingers grazed the wooden box tucked under her clothes and she paused. Helion Prime was bright; she would need glasses - _or goggles_. For the first time, Kyra regretted her shine-job. In the gloom of the slam, her eyes had helped her. But somewhere bright, the light would make her useless. Sighing, she dropped the bag to the deck and leaned back in the restraint chair.

She had a few hours still, before she was dragged back to everything she hated. At least she knew she was safe with Riddick. Pulling a tattered paperback out of a pocket on her bag, she flipped to some page in the middle. She wasn't tired, and reading served to occupy her until they reached the planet. Soon, she was lost in the story.


	4. Waiting

_Author's Note: I apologize for such a long wait between chapters. I ran into a terrible case of writer's block, followed by complete apathy. I'm better now, though. As always, I am sorry for any errors in spelling, punctuation, or facts. I hope you find the long wait worth it. This is the longest chapter to date - read and review, if you so choose, but most of all, enjoy._

Imam's house was a cool retreat from the brightness of Helion Prime. Riddick and Kyra waited outside as the holy man's wife and daughter left on a trip to the market. Then Kyra picked the lock on the back door and let them in. Moving through the open rooms of the house, she ran careful fingers over the familiar furniture.

"The house hasn't changed much," she said to herself. She could feel Riddick watching her. It was making her nervous.

"I'm going to take a shower," Kyra announced suddenly. "Imam will be home soon."

"I'll wait for him," Riddick said, and settled himself in a corner. She nodded and went up the stairs. The bathroom off the guest room was just as she remembered it – clean and neutral. Dropping her bag to the tiled floor, she turned on the water. She stripped off her clothes as steam filled the room, leaving them in a heap next to her bag.

The hot water coursed over her body, turning red as it ran toward the drain. Kyra could feel the slickness of the dried blood as it washed off her. There was a new bar of soap resting in a dish attached to the wall; she grabbed it and began to scrub viciously at her skin. Suddenly she felt dirty – soiled and stained beyond recognition. She had never liked killing people, probably because she still had a bit of a conscience. Breathing hard, she worked the soap into her skin until she felt raw.

Kyra squeezed her eyes shut and turned her face up to the spray. Lathering her hands, she worked the soap into her hair and over her face. Slowly, she felt the water begin to soothe her and she rinsed the suds away.

Letting out a sigh, Kyra shut the water off and stepped out of the shower. She wrapped a large beige towel around her body and tucked the end between her breasts. Idly, she wondered if Imam was home yet. She wiped the fog of steam off the mirror and glanced at her reflection. Growling, she bent to pick up her clothes and bag.

Kyra opened the bathroom door and stepped into the guest room. The doors to the balcony were thrown wide open, allowing a light breeze to filter through the room. Setting her things on the perfectly made bed, she crossed to the open French doors and let the cooling evening air wash over her. The soft breath of wind began drying the drops of water still clinging to her skin.

"You gonna get dressed?" a deep rumble said from behind her. Kyra turned quickly, clutching her towel tight around her. Riddick stood, leaning nonchalantly against the door.

"What?"

"You gonna get dressed or should I find another place to crash?" He was holding a cup of something in one hand as he watched her. Kyra ran a hand over her face and into her hair.

"Yeah. Hang on a sec." She crossed back to the bed and dug through her bag for clean clothes. Pulling out a pair of faded black pants and a dingy white top, she retreated to the bathroom again.

Riddick watched her go with a raised eyebrow; she seemed skittish. Setting down his empty cup, he carefully moved all Kyra's things off the bed and lay down. He pulled off his goggles and folded his hands behind his head, pushing away thoughts of Kyra dressed only in a towel, with water still beading on her soft skin. He needed to think about some things. _Like_ _the kid._

She was uncomfortable here – he could tell that much. That meant he couldn't leave her here with the holy man. Staring at the ceiling, he mentally reviewed the changes to the plan. He needed to get hold of some old contacts about a ship. Maybe he could trade the merc ship in on something larger?

Finally, he let his eyes slip closed and his mind drift.

In the bathroom, Kyra quickly pulled on her under things and pants. She had forgotten about the bandage on her side and it had gotten wet in the shower. Now, she yanked it off and tossed it in the trash. Peeking into the medicine cabinet above the sink, she found some gauze and disinfectant. She carefully cleaned the wound and replaced the bandage. When she finished, she slipped her top over her head and hung the discarded towel up over the shower curtain rod to dry.

When she opened the door and stepped out of the bathroom, Kyra found Riddick asleep on top of the covers. She smiled as she noticed the careful pile of her things on the floor. Moving silently, she closed and locked the balcony doors and sat in a large chair tucked in a corner across from the bed. In the dim light of the setting sun, she watched Riddick sleep.

He really was handsome, she decided, considering him as he rested. As the room grew darker, Kyra watched him turn onto his side. She yawned and stood, stretching. Grabbing a few blankets out of the linen closet next to the bathroom, she lay down on the floor and closed her eyes.

After tossing and turning for some time, Kyra sat up. This wasn't working. Cautiously, she glanced at Riddick, asleep on the bed. Maybe she could sleep with him? They could share the same bed, anyway. She finally gave in and folded up her blankets. Padding barefoot to the bed, she crawled under the thin top sheet and lay down. The warmth of Riddick's body at her back comforted her and eased her tense muscles. Soon, she was dozing as well.

-

Riddick woke as the first rays of light slipped between the heavy drapes. He tried to sit up, but an odd pressure on his chest stopped him. As he turned to look, he saw Kyra curled up on her side, one hand tucked under her chin and her head lying on his shoulder. He smiled a little. _Just like a kid,_ he thought. Clearing his throat, he gave her a soft nudge.

Kyra's eyes opened and blinked. "What?" she asked, looking up at Riddick. Realizing how she was positioned, she blushed and sat up quickly. "Sorry," she muttered. He chuckled and rolled off the bed.

"Imam said he wants us to avoid his wife and daughter, if we can. Holy man doesn't want us convicts to scare his family." Picking up his cup from the night before, Riddick moved to the bathroom. The warning was unspoken – _stay here until I get back._ Kyra nodded as she slipped out from under the covers.

While Riddick was in the shower, she made the bed, replaced the blankets in the closet, and tried to organize her things. Picking up her bag, she accidentally dumped the contents all over the floor. She quickly shoved the clothes and candles back inside and snatched the box off the floor just as she heard Riddick turn off the water in the bathroom. Righting the bag, Kyra buried the wooden box at the very bottom. She turned when Riddick opened the door into the guest room.

"Ready for breakfast?" she asked, sounding slightly out of breath. He raised an eyebrow, but nodded.

At the table, Riddick started a conversation Kyra had been waiting for – and dreading.

"How much light can your eyes take?" he asked.

She looked up from her study of the antique wooden table. "Probably not much more than yours," she replied. Riddick raised an eyebrow.

"Do you have glasses or something?"

She hesitated. "No." An image of the box tucked under her clothes flashed in her mind. He nodded.

"Who did the job?"

"Some doc in Crematoria." She paused, sensing his next question. _When?_ "A few months after I got there."

Riddick nodded again. "He botched it."

"Yeah." Kyra looked back at the table. He waited, knowing she would go on. "I was lucky. I can still see." She shrugged. "I even get a few colors. And the pain from the light isn't so bad once you get used to it."

As they talked, Imam poked his head around the doorframe and glanced warily between the two sitting at his table.

"May I speak with Kyra for a moment?" he asked. Looking across at Riddick, she shrugged again and nodded. She rose and followed Imam out into the hall.

"What is it?"

"There is no easy way to say this." He paused. "I want you to stay away from Ziza," he said finally. Kyra furrowed her brow, frowning.

"What?"

"She looks up to you. I do not want her getting bad habits, especially from…" He trailed off, looking away.

"What?" She waited for him to finish. "From a convict?" she asked. "Is that what you were gonna say?" Instantly, Kyra had Imam pinned against the wall, her hand wrapped around his throat. "It wasn't my choice to come back here, holy man," she growled.

"Please, do not hurt me," he choked out. Kyra's eyes flashed and she loosened her grip. Imam dropped to his knees, coughing and dragging air into his lungs.

"I'll stay away from the kid," she muttered as she turned on her heel and strode into the kitchen, leaving Imam on the floor gasping.

Riddick had heard Kyra's conversation with the holy man. He'd listened, quietly sipping his coffee, as she had fought to keep her temper under control. _At least she didn't ghost him._ When she walked back through the door, he glanced at her, waiting.

"Done?" she asked, clearing her place and washing her dishes. Returning to the table, she looked down at Riddick and paused. He nodded and handed her his coffee cup. Taking it, she washed it and put it away. When she finished, she leaned back against the counter. "Can we get outta here?" Kyra asked softly. Riddick nodded and stood.

"We'll be gone all day – grab your shit if you want it." Adjusting his goggles over his eyes, he strode back to the guest room. Kyra followed grabbing her bag as Riddick pulled on a tattered, hooded robe.

The two slipped quietly out the side door of Imam's house and moved silently through the alleys to New Mecca's indoor spaceport. Neither spoke until they were strolling past the long lines of ships.

"I gotta see someone," Riddick said, stopping and glancing around. "Stay here until I get back." Then he disappeared into the shadows of the docks. Kyra made a rude noise. _Yeah, right._ Adjusting her bag so that it hung across her body, she turned and headed in the opposite direction.

She kept to the shadows as she moved quietly among the ships. She read the names as she passed and wondered about the stories behind them. _Athena_,_ Quicksilver_,_ Royal Blue_. Smiling, she began playing with names for her own ship. She was combing her memories of her history lessons for something meaningful when she heard a noise behind her. Instantly, Kyra melted into the darkness of the docks, sliding a shiv from the sheath on her thigh. She waited. Then she heard it again – a quiet scuff of a boot on metal. Forcing herself to breathe evenly, she listened, gripping her knife so hard her knuckles turned white. Just as she was about to force a confrontation with the stranger, a muscled arm snaked around her shoulders and yanked her back against a familiar chest.

"Shh," Riddick's deep voice whispered past her ear. Kyra nodded silently and relaxed against him. They waited for a moment, then he began pulling her deeper into the shadows. Finally, he let her go. Slipping her shiv back into its sheath, she waited. _Now what?_

"I thought I told you to stay."

"I'm not a dog, Riddick." He didn't answer. Turning away from her, he started down a dim alley. Kyra had to jog to catch up to his long, angry strides. Finally, panting and out of breath, she gasped, "Slow down!"

Riddick whirled around and grabbed her shoulders. Slamming her against the nearest ship, he yanked off his goggles and stared at her. "What the hell were you thinking?" he demanded. The low lights of the cavernous indoor spaceport caused his shined eyes to glimmer like mercury. Kyra couldn't say anything; when she didn't answer, he continued. "What if that had been a merc? Or a patrol? Or someone other than me?" He punctuated each question with a little shake of her shoulders. Then the anger clouding his vision cleared a little and Kyra's expression sunk in. She was terrified. _You asshole,_ he thought. Releasing his grip on her arms, he turned away from her and bowed his head, rubbing the bridge of his nose. What the hell was _he_ thinking? She was just a kid. Growling to himself, Riddick started moving down the alley again. He listened to make sure Kyra was following behind him, but didn't speak.

Finally, the two stopped in front of a small, older looking ship. Cocking her head to one side, Kyra examined it.

"One or two man crew?" she asked, cautiously walking toward the entrance.

"Two converted to one." She nodded, understanding the shorthand, and peered into the darkness inside the ship. _Wait. One-man crew?_ He couldn't leave her…

Riddick saw the fear that flitted across Kyra's face. "It was the most I could afford," he added, moving around her and into the ship.

The relief that washed over her was almost tangible. He wasn't going to leave her behind. Following him inside, Kyra allowed herself to look around.

The old ship looked its age, but it had obviously been well cared for. The equipment she could see looked current, and the control panel had been redone in a more modern style some time ago. Riddick startled her by sitting in one of the captain's chairs on the bridge and flipping the controls that closed the door. Lighting up the com panel, he began running updates and codes to check the current condition of the ship. Kyra decided to go exploring while she had a chance. Turning away from the bridge, she went down a short hall that ended in a small galley. She counted three doors along the corridor, two on the right and one on the left. Opening the door on the left first, she found a tiny bathroom with a shower stall and vanity. _The other two must lead to the cabins,_ she thought, keying open the first door on the right. It was, indeed, a very Spartan cabin. The single bunk was attached to the wall, with storage space built in underneath. A nightstand stood next to the bed, bolted to the floor; a reading lamp was set on its top. There was also a small cabinet tucked into a corner along the wall across from the bunk. Opening its doors, Kyra found hangers and drawers for clothes. Deciding one cabin was as good as the next, she dropped her bag on the floor near the bed and left the room.

Behind the second door, Kyra had expected to find another cabin exactly like the first. Instead, when she peered inside, she saw a well-outfitted exercise room. She spotted a set of weights, along with some mats and things stacked neatly along one wall. Stepping back, she closed the door and walked back to the bridge.

"Um…Riddick?" she asked, hesitantly. He was still running checks on the ship's systems and didn't answer. "I think we've got a problem."

Turning around in his chair, he glared at her. "What?"

"There's only one cabin," she said. He raised an eyebrow, but didn't reply. Feeling like an idiot, Kyra shrugged and sighed. "You're right. Stupid. Sorry." Riddick returned to running his checks as she sat in the empty chair next to him. _I'll just sleep on the floor, I guess,_ she thought.

Riddick was aware of Kyra as she sat next to him, but he kept quiet; he was busy running the last of the immediate scans. If everything checked out all right, he could get the ship off the ground tomorrow morning. Distracted, he didn't even look at her as he reached behind a small panel.

"Here." He handed her a battered looking envelope full of cash and as-good-as-cash credit chips. "Go get supplies while I get the main comp ready."

Kyra jumped at the sound of Riddick's voice. When she was finally able to get her breath, she asked, "What do we need?" She hadn't had a chance to investigate everything, so she didn't know what the ship already had stocked on it.

"Everything." He tossed the envelope in her lap and dismissed her. Pushing a few more buttons, he entered the codes for the longer scans and watched as a few more lights blinked on.

"How much stock do you want?"

_Was she still there?_ Flipping the switches to open the door, he stood and helped her to her feet. "Enough to last about six months," he answered, practically pushing her out the door. "I'll take care of fuel and water. You get everything else." Turning away, he went back to the com panel and closed the door. He leaned back in his chair and sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Checking the progress of the latest sequence of scans, Riddick stood and moved toward the rear of the ship. He opened the first door on his right and found the single cabin. When he saw Kyra's bag lying on the floor, he smiled slightly. Grabbing the leather strap, he picked the carryall up and tucked it neatly into the cabinet. Then he sat on the edge of the bed and tried to allow his body to relax. Getting the ship had been difficult. The merc skiff hadn't brought as much as Riddick had hoped, and he had been forced to pay more than he would have liked. But at least they were getting off this planet. He didn't like it her anymore than the kid did.

Lying back on the bed, Riddick closed his eyes and slowly felt all of his muscles loosen; the tension slipped away for the moment, and he felt sleep stealing over his tired mind. _Let the scans run,_ he thought. _I'll check 'em in a bit._

-

Kyra juggled the shopping bags and baskets as she tried to key in the code that she hoped opened the ship's hatch. When she heard the quiet hiss of the door sliding back, she grinned.

"Score," she whispered.

Inside the ship, she closed the door behind her as she glanced around. The bridge was dark, but with her shined eyes, she could tell that Riddick wasn't there. "Lights, twenty percent," she said, turning toward the hallway leading back to the galley. She could see in the dark, but all the bags she was carrying were making things difficult and sometimes, light just helped.

In the galley, Kyra set the heavy bags down on a small table that was bolted to the floor and attached to the wall. Relaxing her arms, she sighed and thanked God that she'd been able to get the rest of the stock delivered to the ship. As she rested, she looked around the room, taking in the rows of neat cabinets and ranks of drawers. Carefully avoiding the two benches attached to the floor on either side of the table, she began unpacking the bags and putting supplies away. Dishes and glasses in one cabinet, canned goods in another; silverware in a drawer, and perishables in the cooling unit. Everything had a place.

She was just barely finished stocking the galley when a sequence of beeps sounded on the bridge. Wondering who it could be, Kyra strode toward the front hatch. She keyed in the open sequence and waited through the hiss of compressed air as the door slid back.

"You Kyra?" a gruff voice greeted her. A large man stood on the dock, looking at a clipboard held in his rough hands.

"Who's asking?" She raised an eyebrow and waited. Vaguely, she could see the outlines of various stacks of boxes behind him.

"I got a delivery here for Jack." He paused, consulting a paper on his clipboard. "Six months worth of stock." Kyra nodded and stepped back.

"Take it around back. Cargo hold. I'll open it an meet you down there." Disappearing inside, she punched some buttons on the pat next to the door and sealed the hatch. _Now how the hell do I get to the cargo hold?_ she thought, glancing around the bridge. A small grate set into the floor caught her eye. _Ah ha, a clue._ Flipping the grate up, she dropped it back on its hinges to the deck; the loud, discordant clang made her wince. She grasped the top rung of the rickety ladder leading down into the darkness. Quickly, she descended, grinning as the blackness of the hold closed over her.

The cargo hatch was in the rear of the ship; Kyra moved aft with long, confident, strides toward it. At the entry keypad, she tried the main opening sequence she'd used to enter the bridge. Another grin lit her face as the hatch lowered with the grinding of long unused machinery. Touching down with a final protesting squeal and a light thump, the ramp was almost instantly crowded with the chaos of hand trucks, carts, boxes, crates, and the porters moving it all.

Soon, Kyra had all the cargo loaded and secured in the hold. There were boxes of soap, towels, tools, and supplies to repair anything on the ship. There were crates of more groceries, dishes, and bed linens. Stacks, and stacks, upon more stacks of stock. But it was in the last stack that Kyra found what she was looking for. She had had enough money left over at the end of her shopping run, so she'd splurged. The three crates of cigarettes were among the last to be loaded into the hold.

When all the porters were gone, she pried the lid off the first of the boxes, gazing longingly at the neat stacks of cartons inside. Kyra opened the one on top and pulled out a single pack – her first in over a year. Idly, she tapped the top of the unopened pack against the heel of her hand, packing the cigarettes inside. Walking halfway down the ramp into the cargo hold, she pulled off and discarded the foil and cellophane wrapping. Kyra sat as she gently shook a single cigarette loose. Taking it between her lips, she popped a match on her thumbnail, relishing the bitter smell of burning sulfur. She carefully cupped the small flame and brought it to her. Inhaling slowly, she watched as the end of the cigarette caught. She took the first drag as she shook the match out. Exhaling in a sigh of contentment, Kyra leaned back on her elbows and gazed unseeing out at the deserted docks.


	5. New Beginnings

_Author's note: Sorry this took so long. Between finals, and homework, and college preparations, and other things...I just haven't had time. Not to mention the dreaded Writer's Block. But I think I'm better now. I've already started working on the next chapter. It's coming along. I want to say a quick thanks to everyone that's reviewed and all of you who have stuck with me through all the long pauses. Also! I think I have just made some of this easier to read. I hope I have, anyway. Please read and review, but most of all, enjoy._

Riddick woke the instant Kyra opened the main door. He's listened to her move around the ship and heard her deal with the cargo delivery. Now he could smell her – the scent of apples seemed to invade everything. She was probably still down in the cargo hold, Riddick figured. The acrid smell of cigarette smoke confirmed the assumption.

Sighing, Riddick rolled off the bunk and padded out to check the scans on the bridge. Green lights lit up the various com panels and he grinned. They would be off the ground with first light tomorrow. Giving a lazy stretch, he moved to the ladder and descended into the cargo hold.

Kyra was sitting on the ramp, watching the smoke from her cigarette curl into the still air. "You know what I missed most?" she asked, not turning around. Riddick didn't say anything as he walked toward her. With a quick glance over her shoulder, she continued. "I missed these." Kyra held up the cigarette. Sitting down next to her, Riddick stayed silent. He took a cigarette from the pack when she offered, holding it, un-lit, in the corner of his mouth. They sat quietly for a while, staring out at the dim spaceport.

"We should probably head out soon," Riddick said finally, pulling his cigarette from between his lips.

"Back to Imam's?" Kyra asked, flicking some ash from the end of hers. He nodded. She closed her eyes as she took another drag. Exhaling, she spoke. "I don't want to go back there." Riddick cocked an eyebrow and glanced sideways at her. "Can't we spend the night here?" she asked after a moment. He didn't say anything. Kyra waited, but when it was obvious he wasn't going to reply, she stood. Taking a last drag, she flicked the filter out onto the pavement.

She turned and walked back up the cargo ramp, toward the ladder. Her foot was on the first rung when Riddick spoke.

"Yeah. We can do that." Kyra paused, glancing back at him. He had lit his cigarette and she could see a curl of smoke rising in the air. Smiling, she shook her head and climbed up to the bridge.

Riddick listened to her go, smoking silently. He heard her moving around on the bridge and in the cabin. As he crushed out the filter and closed the cargo hatch, he realized that he didn't mind the little sounds she made or the way her smell seemed to fill every crack and pore of the ship. Sighing, he climbed the ladder and checked the bridge. Kyra had taken care of supplying water and fuel while she had been out, so the ship was finally fully loaded. He shut down the peripheral systems for the night, leaving only the main com for anything they might need between now and tomorrow morning. The lights were all out, so Riddick moved down the corridor toward the cabin.

As the door hissed open, he could see Kyra sleeping uneasily on the floor. Stepping into the room, Riddick frowned. She had pulled fresh blankets out of the new supply to put on the bed, and had curled up with the old sheets on the floor. _Why was she on the floor in the first place? Why not the bunk?_ Then he remembered her worry over the single bed. Sighing, he bent and cautiously lifted Kyra in his arms. The blankets wrapped easily around her slight body, transforming into a small, warm cocoon. He set her gently on the bed and carefully tucked her in. She moaned sleepily, shifting to a more comfortable position, but didn't wake. On impulse, Riddick brushed some stray strands of hair off Kyra's forehead; her lips curled in a small smile at his touch. Mimicking the expression, he pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head and stepped away.

There was a small stack of blankets near the door. Grabbing a few, Riddick stretched out on the floor and closed his eyes. His mind drifted and he relaxed his tense muscles. He could hear the sounds of the old ship settling around them as they slept. He listened to Kyra's deep, even breathing. The noises comforted him with their familiarity. Soon, he was dozing lightly.

-

Kyra yawned and stretched lazily, listening to the sounds of the ship around her. She had tangled her self in the blankets sometime during the night; in fact, she had somehow managed to get onto the bunk in her sleep. _Didn't I fall asleep on the floor?_ Kyra wondered as she unwound the sheets from her legs. Cracking her back, she rolled off the bed and almost stepped on Riddick. Stifling a small squeak, she carefully stepped over him and crept out of the room. _That explains how I got from the floor to the bunk, anyway._

Glancing toward the bathroom, she stopped. After a moment, she continued down the hall, to the second door on the right. Quickly pressing in the opening code, she winced as one of the panels squealed in protest. Inside, she didn't bother turning on the lights; she moved over to a covered com panel set into the far wall and pried the door open. It was controls for the room's sound system. Nodding in appreciation, Kyra checked the selection of music loaded onto the drive and picked out a few songs to run in a loop as she worked out. Turning the volume down low, she crossed to the center of the room.

Her stretching routine was simple. She'd dug up an old ballet manual somewhere in her travels, and she had committed the workouts to memory. Now, as she reached over to grab her right toe, she mentally thumbed through her usual sequence. God, it felt so good to work the stiffness out of her muscles. Giving herself one last pull, she switched to her left leg, gripping her foot and listening to the heavy bass beat of the music. Unconsciously, she started counting along. _One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight._ Kyra stretched to the middle, then rolled through her center splits with an audible groan. Once she was on her stomach, she loosened her hip muscles and rolled to a standing position.

The sound system switched tracks; soft techno-pop now floated out of the well-concealed speakers. Kyra rolled her head from side to side, then did a few combinations she remembered. When she finished, dropping into her left splits with a sigh, her body was covered with a light sheen of sweat. Standing up, she crossed to the com panel and shut off the music just as the door opened. Kyra started, turning quickly and dropping into a fighting crouch. It was only Riddick. Giving a shaky sigh, she relaxed and rose out of her stance. "I didn't mean to wake you," she said.

"You didn't," he lied. Riddick had known the moment Kyra woke up – that subtle change in her breathing clued him in. He had given in to the impulse to check on her while he was on his way to the bathroom. "You doin okay?" he asked. Kyra smiled slightly and nodded.

"Fine." She started toward the door, then paused. "You want the shower first?" Riddick shook his head no. Kyra raised an eyebrow, but didn't argue. She couldn't think of anything she wanted more than a shower and a cigarette, in that order.

Riddick watched Kyra go, unconsciously checking her out. She had grown up, all right. Her loose-limbed stroll was as sexy as it was dangerous, and she obviously knew how to use her body to her advantage. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Riddick moved down the corridor to the galley. Kyra had stocked it well, with fresh perishables in the cooling unit and canned stuff in the cabinets. After rummaging around for a few minutes, he found everything he would need to make a decent breakfast. He wondered idly whether Kyra even liked pancakes as he began mixing the batter in a big metal bowl. He heard the water rush through the pipes as the shower started and grinned. Images of a warm, wet, and naked Kyra floated into his mind. Riddick hardened instantly. _Thirteen-year-old in goggles, _he thought desperately. He couldn't look at her like that. It just wasn't right.

Sighing, Riddick set down the mixing bowl and put a skillet on the stove plate. He pushed the button to start the heat and dropped a tiny bit of butter onto the heating surface so that the pancakes wouldn't stick. When everything was ready, Riddick poured batter onto the pan in four medium-sized circles.

He was just scooping the second set of finished pancakes off the skillet when Kyra strode into the galley, twisting her hair back from her face and securing it with a pencil-thin, sheathed dagger. "Smells good," she said, smiling in Riddick's direction. She pulled a pack of cigarettes out the back pocket of her pants and shook one out. Sticking it in her mouth, she offered the pack to Riddick, who shook his head.

"No thanks."

Kyra watched as he poured the last of the batter onto the skillet. Pushing the pack back into her pocket, she moved to the table and slid onto one of the hard benches. The lights in the galley were off – Riddick didn't need them – and Kyra hadn't bothered to turn them on. She didn't need them either, for the most part. Pulling a matchbook out of another pocket, she struck a match on the edge of the table. The bright flare of the sulfur igniting made Kyra wince as she brought it to the tip of her cigarette. Taking a couple shallow drags to get it lit, she shook out the match and tossed it in the sink.

"So what's the plan for today?" Kyra asked finally.

"We're gettin outta here." There was a muted click as Riddick turned off the heat on the stove plate. Taking some plates out of a cabinet, he brought the stack of pancakes to the table and set them down. "I hope you're hungry," he said. Kyra was so fixated on her first taste of real food in over a year that she didn't see the softening in Riddick's eyes as he watched her.

"Thanks, man. They look delicious." She even laughed out loud when her stomach growled audibly.

"Eat up, kid."

-

Riddick looked up from the com panel at the creak of the co-pilot's seat. Kyra sprawled herself in the chair.

"Everything's secured. We leavin soon?" she asked. Riddick grunted and turned back to the com screen. Kyra raised an eyebrow and sat back. Her body began to relax as she watched his fingers fly over the panel. All morning, Kyra had been double-checking the loaded cargo, making sure it was ready for flight. Now, watching Riddick running the start-up programs for take-off, she started to get excited. He was actually taking her with him…he wasn't going to leave her here on Helion Prime – like the last time.

Smiling slightly, Kyra pushed herself out of the chair. Watching Riddick for just a second longer, she turned and slipped down the hall to the single cabin. There, she pulled her bag out from the cabinet against the wall and started digging through her clothes. Finally, she just dumped the contents out on the floor and began sifting through the haphazard pile of shirts and pants. When she found what she was looking for – a small, battered paperback book – she glanced around at the mess she had made.

Riddick cleared his throat. Kyra had been so busy digging that she hadn't even noticed him in the open doorway. Now, he could see the embarrassment creeping into her eyes and coloring her cheeks. Raising an eyebrow, he glanced around the room. "Ready?" he rumbled.

"Yeah," she replied, madly trying to scoop her things back into her carry all. Not taking his eyes off her, Riddick bent to help, reaching toward a small wooden box just as she turned toward it. "No," she cried, trying to get to the box before he did. Looking down, Riddick saw the wooden lid thrown back; the box was surrounded by newspaper clippings…and a very familiar pair of goggles.

"What the-?"

"It's nothing." Blushing, Kyra dumped the goggles into the box. She scooped up the articles she had cut out and piled them in as well. Snapping the lid shut, she closed the little brass latch and fastened the tiny pin to keep it in place. Riddick raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. He had seen the titles of some of those clippings. _Had she really kept all that?_ He wanted to ask, but didn't.

Instead, he asked, "You ready to go, kid?" Pushing himself up, he adjusted his goggles and waited. Kyra wouldn't look at him as she nodded.

"Yeah. I'm ready."

"Get your bag put away and strap yourself in. I'll get clearance for take-off." Turning on his heel, Riddick strode out of the cabin and back to the bridge. Shaking his head, he sat in the captain's chair and punched up the control tower. He typed in his request and waited while the tower cleared him.

Kyra was mortified. She couldn't believe that she had been that careless. Her things had been all over the floor – and the box. That stupid box. She should have left it in Crematoria. Sighing, she shoved the last of her things back into her bag and stood. She tossed the carry all back into the cabinet and locked the doors. Then she just sat on the cabin's single bunk. She couldn't face Riddick, knowing that he had seen her weakness. She heard the com panel beep, signaling a message had been received – probably their clearance for take-off.

"Kyra," Riddick called. "Get strapped in. We're cleared." He wondered idly if she was still embarrassed. She'd looked like she wanted to sink into the floor when he'd spotted those silly goggles. He'd actually thought it was kinda cute.

_Cute? When did I start using word like "cute"?_ Shaking his head, Riddick caught a whiff of apples as Kyra slid into the chair next to him. He flipped a couple switches as she strapped herself into the safety harness, and instantly felt the ship respond. Riddick heard the whir of machinery and felt a slight jolt as the ship rose off the docking platform.

They slid smoothly out of the spaceport; the ship drove like a dream. Riddick felt himself start to grin as he punched some buttons that pushed the flaps down and brought the nose up. "Here we go," he muttered, flipping the final switch that started the engines. The strong push of acceleration shoved them both back into their seats. Kyra let out a little giggle – her excitement bubbling over as the ship shot into the sky.

_Here we go_, she agreed silently.


	6. Flying

_Author's Note: Here is the next chapter for your reading pleasure. Not such a long wait this time. I apologize in advance for any errors you may find. Read and review (please!) but, as always, enjoy._

_Disclaimer: I don't own them, but I sometimes like to pretend I do..._

Nothing but black and a sprinkling of stars was visible out the front window. Kyra had been staring at the same view since she and Riddick had cleared Helion Prime's atmosphere. Her stomach was growling, and she could feel an ache settling in her knees and back, but she couldn't move.

"I used to do that." Riddick's low rumble made her jump, then she winced as the pain in her joints flared.

"Do what?" she asked, glancing at him. "Stare at the stars?"

"Yeah." He slid into the captain's chair next to Kyra, causing it to creak in protest. Kyra smiled when she saw his eyes were gazing out the front window with rapt attention. Turning her focus back to the stars, she sighed. Her stomach growled again, startling her. "Hungry?" Riddick didn't look at her when he spoke.

"I guess," Kyra replied, looking down at herself. "I didn't really notice." _Time in the slam'll do that to ya,_ she added silently. Her stomach growled again and she started to get up.

"Harness," Riddick said. Kyra stopped moving an instant before the harness would've snapped her back into the seat. Unfastening the latch, she stood and stretched, arching her back and cracking her knuckles. Riddick watched her from under heavy lids. He was struck again by how sexy she had become. He just couldn't shake the image of her long legs wrapping themselves around his waist as he…

"You want anything, while I'm up?" Kyra's voice broke into his lurid imaginings. Blinking, Riddick brought himself back to the real world.

"No. Thanks," he added after a moment. He listened as Kyra moved almost silently to the galley. When he was sure she was occupied, Riddick stood and almost ran to the small bathroom. Turning the water on full hot, he stripped off his clothes and stepped under the spray. The water pounded down on his shoulders, scalding his skin. Growling, he turned his face up to the stinging drops.

This wasn't helping. Riddick's mind was going wild, picturing the things he would like to do to Kyra under the thundering spray. Reaching out blindly, he turned the temperature to full cold, shivering as the water instantly went from scalding to freezing. He was breathing hard, fighting his arousal with everything he had. He couldn't let Kyra see this side of him; he had to protect her.

A knock brought Riddick's head up. Kyra called something through the door, but her voice was too muffled for him to understand. He stiffened as he heard the door hiss open. "What is it?" he gritted out; he refused to look at her.

"I asked if you were sure you didn't want anything to eat. I made too much food and was looking to share." She sounded funny – like she was having a hard time catching her breath.

"Sure. Leave it out." He had to get her out of there; otherwise all those fantasies would quickly become realities.

Kyra nodded, but stayed where she was. She could see the outline of Riddick's muscular body through the frosted imitation glass enclosing the shower, and she felt her heartbeat accelerate as her imagination filled in what her eye couldn't see. She had an image of water sluicing over the hard muscles of his shoulders and chest, down his stomach to…

Blushing, Kyra forced her mind away from the picture of a wet, naked Riddick. Taking a deep breath, she turned on her heel and stepped out into the hall. "Okay," she said to herself. "Okay."

Once Kyra was gone and the door shut behind her, Riddick turned off the shower and waited. Bracing his hands on the wall in front of him, he hung his head and tried to relax. _What was it about the kid that made him so…so…whatever the fuck he was feeling?_ Stepping out of the shower, Riddick wrapped a towel around his hips and picked up the pile of his clothes from the floor. He keyed open the door and cautiously glanced from right to left, making sure that Kyra wasn't in sight. _All clear._ Quickly, he crossed the hall and opened the door to the cabin. He was instantly assaulted by the scent of apples.

"My beautiful atom bomb," Kyra sang softly, "it never felt so right. So find me marching on, you are my afterlife." Kyra's voice was clear and true, hitting each note perfectly. Riddick paused on the threshold, with his clothes spilling out of his arms and one hand still pressed against the keypad. Enthralled, he leaned against the doorframe, forgetting his lack of attire. "My beautiful hand grenade, you know you feel so good tonight." She was picking up the cabin. Clothes had been produced and put in the small cabinet attached to the wall. She had even found fresh sheets somewhere and made the cabin's single bed.

"I am not afraid…" Kyra's voice trailed off as she looked up and saw Riddick – or more pointedly, the towel barely clinging to Riddick's hips. "Sorry," she muttered, tearing her eyes away from the perfectly chiseled body in front of her. Picking up the pile of dirty sheets and her clothes, she tried to sneak past him without making eye contact.

"That was good," he said, stepping into the room and out of her way.

"What?" She paused in the doorway.

"You sound good. I like it."

Kyra blushed. "Thank you." Riddick smiled at her and watched as she turned out into the hall. Closing the door behind her, and trying not to think about how great her ass had looked in those pants, he dumped his dirty clothes on the bed and opened the cabinet in search of something to wear.

-

Kyra had found a small washer and dryer in a closet tucked in the back corner of the exercise room. Pouring in some laundry soap, she dropped the sheets and clothes into the -washer and closed the top. Then, she just leaned against the machine and propped her chin on her fist. Things between her and Riddick were going to get very interesting. She couldn't avoid the fact that she was attracted to him – _when had that happened?_

It didn't matter. What mattered was that they were living in close quarters, and she just had to learn to deal with…well, with whatever. Sighing, Kyra pushed herself up. She'd start the wash when she had Riddick's clothes – they'd use less water that way. She walked out of the exercise room and down the hall to the kitchen. She wasn't hungry, but she opened the cooling unit anyway, looking idly at the food inside.

"Hungry still?" Riddick's voice made Kyra jump. She slammed the cooling unit door and whirled around.

"No."

"Hot?" he tried again.

"No." He was in the doorway, just leaning against the wall. _It should be a crime for someone to look so good_, she thought. He was shirtless, with his goggles dangling out of the back pocket of his pants. And he was just watching her. Self-consciously, Kyra stuck her thumbs in her hip pockets and looked at her bare feet.

Riddick moved to sit at the kitchen's small booth. Squeezing his giant frame onto the narrow bench, he saw the pot sitting on the table in front of him. _Leftovers. She'd said something about leftovers._ Taking a closer look, he saw that the pot held a sort of stew. He heard Kyra moving around, opening cabinets and drawers. When she set a bowl and spoon down in front of him, Riddick looked up.

"Thanks, kid," he said. When she started to move away, he grabbed her wrist. "Sit with me." Kyra raised an eyebrow, but sat. She settled herself on the bench facing him and waited – a trick she had learned from him.

Riddick waited, too. Scooping some of the stew into his bowl, he began to eat. It was pretty good; better than the crap that passed for food at the slam. He nodded approvingly after swallowing the first spoonful. Then for a while, there was no sound but the scrape of Riddick's spoon in the bowl.

Finally, Kyra couldn't take it anymore. Riddick was obviously better at the waiting game. That would change, but for now, she would let him win. "What now?" she asked. _I'm always asking, "What now"._

Licking the last bit of stew off his spoon, he said, "We wait. Space is the safest place for us for now." Leaning back, he grinned a bit and laced his fingers behind his head.

"Are we going somewhere? Or just floating?"

"A little planet I know about. Hidden." Kyra ran a hand over her face and through her hair. Riddick noticed she did that whenever she was frustrated with something. He waited for her to snap some comment at him, but instead she stood. Her hair fell down her back – she'd removed the slender dagger holding it in place hours ago – and now she twisted it up, behind her head. Pulling that same slim blade out of her back pocket, she secured her hair in a messy knot of sorts and strode out of the kitchen. Riddick didn't follow her – he knew where she was going.

Riddick waited until he heard a door close; the gentle hiss was followed by something imbedding itself in the padded bulkhead of the exercise room. _Careful, kid – your anger's showing._ Standing, he took the pot and his bowl to the sink and washed them. He put everything away, and just stood there for a moment, thinking. Kyra was pissed – working out her frustrations in the gym instead of taking them out on him. Maybe he should just leave her alone. Shrugging, Riddick strode silently out of the kitchen and down the corridor to the exercise room. He keyed open the door and watched as Kyra moved through a few practice patterns with her shivs. There were already a couple embedded in the padding of the walls and floor. Riddick was impressed – she'd gotten strong.

He stood watching her for a few moments, then he stepped into the room and shut the door behind him. Kyra dropped immediately into a ready stance, even before she turned to face him. _Good, kid._

"Riddick."

"You've gotten better," he stated.

"Kinda had to," she replied, coming out of her crouch. "What do you want now?" He didn't answer. Instead, Kyra felt him coming towards her, prowling around her, then moving away.

"Let's play a game." His growl sent shivers through her body.

"Go fish?" she asked

"No." His low purr was right in her left ear.

"Strip poker?" she tried again.

This time, there was a low chuckle before his whisper caressed the back of her neck. "No."

Finally, Kyra fell for the bait; if he wanted to play, let him play. "What game?"

"How about 'who's the better killer'?" The light caress of one of Riddick's blades at her throat had her attention. Swallowing hard, she nodded.

"Okay." Then the blade was gone, and so was Riddick. Turning quickly, Kyra saw him moving around her – trying to disorient her. _Fuck that_, she thought, standing perfectly still. _Let him run in circles. I'll wait._

Riddick was impressed. The kid wasn't trying to follow his every move. _She must've actually learned something, being in the slam._ Then he cringed, not wanting to think about how she'd learned those things. Putting it out of his mind, he stepped toward Kyra, his arm snaking around her waist and pulling her to him. Instantly, she turned in his grasp and had a shiv at his throat. When she grinned, he caught the glint of the tiny blade she kept in her mouth. _Fast._ Riddick smirked right back. This was going to be fun.

Kyra could feel Riddick's hand splayed over the small of her back, the warmth of his fingers sending shivers down her spine. As her free hand reached for another blade, she felt his muscles twitch, and she was suddenly pressed flush against his chest. The proximity did funny things to her body and Kyra felt herself starting to panic. She groped desperately at her thigh, looking for that knife, but her fingers just couldn't find it.

"Relax." She felt Riddick's breath whisper past her ear, fluttering a few escaped curls against her temple. "You're panicking." The tip of a shiv trailed lightly down her arm. Her eyes shot open wide and she felt real fear trying to steal over her. Breathing slowly, she forced everything away.

Riddick felt Kyra start to relax in his hold. "Good," he whispered, keeping his lips right next to her ear. God, he could almost taste her – he was close enough to just touch his tongue to…

_Now you're getting distracted._ Riddick flexed his fingers and began to inch them up Kyra's back, under her shirt. Suddenly, he froze. He could feel the unmistakable texture of heavy scarring puckering her smooth skin. Jerking his head up, he stared down at her through the dark. "What's this?" he growled.

Kyra looked up at him, puzzled. The tiny blade was hidden back in her mouth and the shiv at his throat was drooping. "What?"

Riddick traced a finger over the scars crisscrossing her back. Placing his hand between her shoulder blades, he felt the lines snaking up to the base of her neck. "This." Her eyes widened as she realized what he was touching. Shoving herself away from him, she turned her back. "What is it, Kyra?" Riddick asked, but he knew. He wanted to shout, he wanted to hurt someone; he wanted revenge for what those fuckers had done to her. Kyra was still silent. She wouldn't even look at him. Finally Riddick couldn't take it any more. He threw his shiv across the room and watched Kyra flinch as it landed in the wall next to her head. "_What did they do to you?_" he shouted. That got her attention.

"I told you," she shot back at him. Her silvered eyes flashed as she whirled around to face him. "They tried to kill me. Did you think I was kidding?" Her hand was at her side, clenching around her shiv; her knuckles were turning white with the strain. "I've got scars everywhere, Riddick." She paused and her eyes seemed to cloud over a bit. "Everywhere."

Riddick's hands fisted at his sides. At that moment, he wanted to kill every single man that had ever touched her. _Every single one._ Instead, he took a deep breath and tried to calm down. He could feel the anger and pain radiating off Kyra, and it hurt to know he'd caused some of it.

"I waited for you, and the longer I waited, the more they hurt me," she whispered. She didn't want to tell these stories. She didn't want to remember what the guards had done to her, or what the mercs had done, or what the convicts had done; she didn't want to remember any of it. "You want to see all of it?" she asked, her voice harsh and taunting. "You want to see the price I paid for my fuck-up? For believing in something?" Turning her back to him, Kyra raised her shirt so Riddick could see the scars. She waited for him to say something, to tell her to stop, to comfort her. He stood behind her, silent. Dropping her shirt, she turned toward him again. "Why does it matter to you?" she asked, not really expecting an answer.

"Because no one touches what's mine." It was the first thing he'd said since she'd turned to face him

"And I'm yours?" Kyra laughed, the sound harsh in her ears. "_You_ left _me,_ alone, and you tell me that I'm _yours_?" He didn't answer. "Fuck you, Riddick," she growled, finally. She threw her shiv across the room and walked out the door without even bothering to see where it struck.

Kyra swung herself around the small section of wall separating the exercise room and the cabin. Closing the door behind her, she sank to the floor and let her head fall back against the wall. She stared at the ceiling and tried to force the lump out of her throat. She could hear Riddick breathing, just outside the door – or maybe she was just imagining it. It didn't matter anyway. Pulling her legs up to her chest, she rested her arms on her knees and dropped her forehead to the wiry muscles of her forearms. With her face hidden in the hollow of her body, she let the tears escape. She felt them streaking hotly down her cheeks and swore at her own weakness.

-

Riddick braced his hands on the cabin door, listening to Kyra breathing in the other side. He knew she was crying; he could smell the tears. More than anything, he wanted to break down the door and take her in his arms. But who the hell was he trying to kid? He didn't know how to comfort anyone. Pushing himself away from the door, he sighed. Quietly, he made his way up to the bridge and dropped into the captain's chair. The stars visible out the front window held no comfort tonight – especially without Kyra sitting here to enjoy them too. Shifting, Riddick tried to make himself comfortable. When that didn't seem to work, he rose and crept back to the exercise room. He closed the door and pulled his goggles out of his pocket. Setting them on the floor, he collected the shivs from around the room and laid them next to the goggles. With all the obstacles out of his way, he was ready. The big punching bag in the far corner would work nicely. Crossing to it, Riddick began hitting it so hard it bounced off the wall and rattled its securing chains. It provided some small measure of comfort; it would do for now.

Riddick worked the bag until his knuckles were raw and bleeding. Listening to his own labored breathing, he flexed his aching hands and looked around him. He didn't know how long he had been working; only that he was exhausted. Moving over to where he'd left his goggles, Riddick stumbled slightly. He steadied himself, grabbed his goggles, and stepped out into the hall. He was passing the door to the cabin when he heard a soft cry from inside. It was Kyra.

Without thinking, Riddick reached out and started to key in the entry code. He paused, not sure…then he heard Kyra again.

"Riddick!"

The door couldn't open fast enough; squeezing though the slim opening as soon as he was able, Riddick bent to gather her sobbing form into his strong arms. "It's okay, kid. I got ya." Burying his face in her hair and rocking her gently back and forth, he whispered whatever words of comfort he could come up with. Kyra wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and pressed her face into his shoulder.

"Make them go away," she whispered. Riddick could feel her tears soaking his skin and he held her tighter. "Save me, Riddick. I can't do this alone."

"I got ya, Kyra," he muttered, pressing his lips to the top of her head. "It's gonna be okay. I'm here." Slowly, he felt her body begin to relax. Standing up, he cradled her gently against his chest and carried her to the bunk. He laid her down and moved to the foot of the bed to pull off her boots; they landed on the metal deck with two hollow thumps. Still whispering nonsense words, Riddick pulled the blankets out from under Kyra and tucked her in. She was already sleeping peacefully again.

Carefully, Riddick brushed an errant curl back from Kyra's forehead and she sighed. Pressing a light kiss to her left temple, he whispered in her ear, "I'll save you." _Never doubt it_, he added silently. Finally, he stood and moved away from the bunk. He paused at the door, glancing once more at Kyra's sleeping form, then strode out to the bridge. Dropping into the captain's chair, he settled in for a long night.


	7. Close Encounter

_Author's note: Sorry this is such a short chapter. It just seemed to be...well, short, when I wrote it. The next one should be a bit longer. I hope. As always, I apologize for any errors that may be found, and any inconsistancies as well. I love all the reviews - thank you so much. Enjoy._

_Disclaimer: I don't own them...wish I did, but I don't._

The sound of a door opening caught Riddick's attention. By the clocks on the ship, it was morning, but there was still nothing but blackness out the front windows. Standing and stretching, Riddick glanced down the corridor to see Kyra moving around in the kitchen. He heard her filling a pot with water and put it on the stove plate. Leaning against the com panel, he watched her; he liked watching her.

The two had called an unofficial sort of truce after Riddick had found the scars on Kyra's back. Since then, they had slipped into a sort of routine. They ate and slept. They talked when they had to, never prying too deep into each other's secrets. They worked out – Kyra was getting stronger every day. Riddick grinned at that thought; _the kid's a fast learner._

Cracking his neck, Riddick pushed himself away from the com panel and moved silently to the galley. He'd just reached the doorway when Kyra spoke.

"Couldn't sleep again?" she asked. Riddick didn't answer as he moved into the room. She just shrugged; she hadn't really expected a reply. Opening a cabinet, she reached for a small canister of tea. Her fingers met only air. Growling, she peered at the various jars and bottles in the cabinet and swore. She hated not being able to read in the dark. "Lights, twenty percent," she said. Kyra quickly scanned the labels, pulling out a larger jar near the back of the cabinet. Turning to set it on the counter next to the heating plate, she slammed into Riddick.

She caught her balance instantly, bracing one hand on the counter. Clearing her throat, she looked up at him and raised an eyebrow. "Yes?" she asked.

Riddick didn't answer; he had nothing to say. He'd taken advantage of Kyra's distraction and moved close enough to breathe in her scent. But he wouldn't admit that. Instead, he shrugged.

"A 'sorry' would be nice," she commented as she reached behind him to set down the jar of tea. She looked up, waiting for Riddick to move out of her way. Their eyes locked, instantly heating the air around them.

The whistling kettle made Kyra start, pulling her eyes away from Riddick's. The moment was over. Moving away, Riddick sat at the table and watched as Kyra made the tea. He'd been watching her a lot more lately. Her movements were full of carefully controlled power, graceful, _sexy_. Shaking his head, he pulled his goggles out of his pocket and settled them over his eyes. The kid had forgotten to turn the lights off, and even though it was low light, prolonged exposure still hurt.

Kyra could feel Riddick watching her as she poured tea and finished fixing a light breakfast. Fighting the urge to shiver at the strange sensation, she turned, mug in hand, to see his silvered eyes hidden behind the tinted goggles. She blushed and set the tea on the table. "Lights off," she said quickly.

"It's okay." The goggles were still down but Kyra could tell he was still watching her.

"What?" she asked, confused.

"The lights. They were fine."

"Oh," she muttered, looking down at her bare feet. How could she explain? She hadn't turned them off for Riddick… Ever since she had gotten her shine, Kyra had lived in a sort of lighted dark. She hated the fact that she still depended on any lights – even low lights – for certain things. Sighing, she sat down across from Riddick and began working on her breakfast.

Riddick watched Kyra eat as he sipped his tea. He could still feel the embarrassment radiating off her. Letting his mind wander, he thought about all the books she had hidden in her bag; he'd never seen her touch any of them. Now he understood – she needed light to read; needing light was a weakness to her. Grinning slightly, he drained the last of the tea from his cup. _Kid, you're anything but weak._ Standing, Riddick nodded to Kyra and strode out of the galley and down the hall to the bathroom.

Riddick locked the door behind him; after his last encounter with Kyra while he was in the shower, he wasn't taking any chances. He turned the water on, letting it warm up as he stripped off his clothes. Stepping under the hot spray, he groaned quietly and let the heat and pounding water work some of the tension out of his neck and shoulders. Sleeping in the pilot's chair was starting to take its toll. Out in the corridor, he heard Kyra moving around. He wondered idly what she was doing as he lathered his hands in soap and began to wash.

Kyra was pacing. From the kitchen, up the hall to the bridge, then back again. She was nervous. Cracking her knuckles, she suddenly detoured into the exercise room and commanded the lights on to almost full. Pain at the brightness spiked through her head, but that was what she wanted. _It'll take my mind off Riddick,_ she thought. Grinding her teeth against the stinging in her eyes, she moved to the small com panel and turned on the sound system, not caring what was loaded in the loop. Something heavy and full of bass pounded out of the speakers. Kyra ignored the headache brewing between her temples and moved to the punching bag. She hit it, hard, following the beat of the music.

Riddick had stepped out of the shower and heard some throbbing techno song pouring out of the speakers. Kyra had forgotten to flip the closed circuit switch in the exercise room, so the music was pounding out of every speaker on the ship. Wrapping a towel around his waist he crossed the hall and stopped. The lights were on almost full. Pulling on his goggles, Riddick peered into the room and saw Kyra beating the shit out of the punching bag – kicks, hits, every move full of an unconscious grace…and in perfect time with the music. She was absorbed in what she was doing, completely oblivious to him. _Time to play._ Grinning slightly, Riddick moved forward, until he was right behind her.

"You know, doing that in bare feet could cause you some serious damage," he whispered in her ear. Kyra froze, her right arm drawn back for another hit. Riddick saw that she wasn't wearing goggles.

"Lights off," she said instantly. Blinking rapidly she relaxed a bit. Her head felt like it was going to explode. She was just reaching up to rub her temples when a gentle touch stopped her.

"You shouldn't have the lights on like that without your goggles," Riddick growled. He wasn't playing anymore. _What the fuck did she think she was doing?_ Holding her chin gently in his palm, he tilted her face up so he could see her eyes. They were wide, looking him up and down, taking in the towel that sat dangerously low on his hips. She looked so…so…Riddick couldn't find the words to describe her. Unconsciously, he leaned toward her until their lips were just a breath apart. _I could just lean in and…_

Suddenly, he pulled Kyra to him, wrapping one arm tightly around her to pin her to his body. He kissed her – hard – his tongue tracing the full curve of her lower lip. Gently cupping the back of her head, he groaned as she opened her mouth for him. Their tongues dueled as Riddick's fingers twined themselves into Kyra's hair.

_This wasn't happening._ Kyra tried to force her body under control, but Riddick's lips left hers, tracing a path to her jaw, and she was lost. "This so isn't happening," she whispered, echoing her thoughts. Letting out a small gasp when his teeth grazed her earlobe, Kyra ran her hands up Riddick's broad back, relishing the feeling of his skin under her fingertips.

"Yeah, it's happening." The low, animal growl sent shivers to every part of her body. Liquid heat began to pool in the pit of her stomach. When she glanced down at him, she saw he'd pulled his goggles off, and was watching her intently. And when she felt him grab her hips, lifting her against him, she wrapped her legs around his lean waist. God, this felt good. _Riddick_ felt good.

Kyra's head fell back as she completely lost herself to Riddick's assault. He trailed his tongue down the sleek column of her throat and grinned as he felt her short nails digging into his shoulders. Tasting her collarbone, he sidestepped so he could brace her back against one of the exercise room's padded walls. Riddick let his hands roam up Kyra's back, tracing gently over her scars. He forced himself to remain calm as he turned his attention to the expanse of skin shown by the low cut of her shirt. Letting his tongue dip into the shadowed valley between her breasts, he sighed. _She tasted even better than she smelled._ Then he felt Kyra's hands on either side of his face. She dragged him back up for another kiss, even as one of his hands reached around to cup her breast in his callused palm.

Kyra stiffened. She was gone, but not so far gone she didn't notice _that._ "Wait," she gasped out, trying to catch her breath. "Riddick, wait." He didn't answer; his mouth seemed occupied with trailing kisses along her jaw. "Riddick!" Bracing her hands on his shoulders, she pushed. He looked up, startled.

"What?" His voice was little more than a rumble deep in his chest. His mind was filled with visions of taking Kyra, right here on the floor; he couldn't concentrate on what she was saying.

"What are we doing?" she asked, softly. Carefully, she let her legs drop from his waist and tried to stand on her watery knees. Riddick's palm was still cupping her breast. Raising an eyebrow, she cleared her throat and looked down pointedly. His hand dropped to his side instantly. Kyra moved away, leaving him with nothing but the smell of apples and a slight – well, more than slight – problem barely concealed by his towel. Bracing his hands on the wall in front of him, Riddick sighed. It was going to be another long night.

-

Kyra finally relaxed enough to fall asleep, only to wake in the middle of a nightmare. She was curled in one corner of the bed, a shiv in each hand, and she could feel the dampness -of tears on her cheeks. Trying to breathe deeply, she forced herself to calm down; to block out the memories of T2; to chase away the nightmare on her own.

Kyra didn't open her eyes for almost a full minute; sure she would see nothing but blackness, just like on that God forsaken planet. When she was finally able to look around the room, she felt something in her chest loosen, allowing her to breathe. _No monsters._ Sighing, she carefully stretched her legs out in front of her. Her muscles had been tense and started to cramp. Gritting her teeth, she worked through the pain, pushing herself off the bed and tucking the shivs safely away under her pillow. Kyra began to slowly pace the room. Her muscles finally relaxed and she started trembling. She wanted to call out for Riddick. She wanted him to tell her it was just a stupid dream – like he had on the skiff…after…

Shaking her head, she started pacing figure eights, instead of just a straight line. She was just finishing her third or fourth figure when she looked up. Riddick was standing in the doorway, watching her. "I didn't want to wake you," she said, lamely.

"I wasn't asleep," he replied. Riddick had heard Kyra tossing and turning, fighting dream battles. He'd smelled the fear radiating off her without even opening the door. He'd stood, waiting for her to call out so he could comfort her. When she hadn't, he listened, out in the hall, until she had quieted down.

"Still," she muttered. Shrugging, she turned and slipped back under the tangled covers of the bunk. When she glanced back at him, Riddick could see hints of shadows under her eyes.

"You haven't been sleeping well." It wasn't a question.

"I'm fine," Kyra assured him.

"We'll be putting down soon. We'll see what we can do there." Kyra didn't even bother asking where, and Riddick wasn't surprised. Turning on his heel, he strode out of the cabin, the door closing quietly behind him.

When Kyra was sure he was gone, she crept out of bed and over to the pile of her clothes in a corner, grabbing an ashtray off the night table on her way. Pulling a pack of cigarettes from a pants pocket, she shook one out and lit it. Taking a drag, she sighed. This was why she'd started smoking – it might kill her in the end, but it calmed her nerves like nothing else. Leaning back against the wall, Kyra slid to the floor and let her head drop forward. She propped her arms on her knees, keeping the lit cigarette well away from her pant leg.

It was some time before Kyra brought her head up. The cigarette had almost burnt out, so she crushed the butt in the ashtray and pushed herself to her feet. Stretching lazily, she crawled back into bed, barely able to keep her eyes open. _Hopefully, the nightmares would stay away this time._


	8. Planetside

_Author's Note: I'm apologizing right now for the cliff-hanger ending. The next chapter will be worth it, I promise. (At least, I hope I promise...0.0) Thanks for all your reviews, I have read and re-read them many times - they just warm my heart. Now, here is the next chapter for your reading enjoyment. Review if you so choose, but more than anything, enjoy._

Mangate was a secluded planet, deep in the Pletran system. What few colonies there were, were still rough-and-tumble, and they didn't ask questions. Riddick landed the ship in the spaceport without any difficulties, and Kyra was thankful. She hadn't had another nightmare since waking to find herself curled in the corner, but she still hadn't been sleeping well. She and Riddick still had a sort of truce, but it was strained. _Sexual tension_, Kyra thought, shaking her head. Running a hand through her hair, she squinted into the light pouring in the big front windows.

Riddick had gotten up as soon as they had docked. Kyra hadn't really paid attention to where he went. Now, he stood behind her and tossed something into her lap. Her goggles. "You'll need those," he said.

"I did fine without them on Helion Prime," she retorted, eyeing the goggles warily.

"Just put the damn things on." Kyra felt Riddick move away. She heard him key in the code and open the main hatch; then he was gone. She was still staring at the goggles in her lap when the door hissed shut behind him.

Finally, she twisted up her hair and picked up the goggles. Settling them over her eyes, she stood. She blinked a few times – adjusting to the tinted lenses, then carefully made her way to the door. Punching in the code, she raced out the hatch and down the ramp, trying to catch up to Riddick's long strides.

Riddick caught sight of Kyra just as she pulled even with him. Glancing down at her, he grinned. _He knew she'd put them on._

"So, where exactly are we?" she asked, after taking a moment to catch her breath.

"Settlement called New Moscow." He grinned. "The locals call it AFH."

"'AFH'?"

"A Frozen Hell." Kyra looked around, squinting at the bright sunlight, even through the goggles.

"Oh." Riddick raised an eyebrow and kept grinning. The kid had a lot to learn.

The two left the spaceport and moved down a sidewalk toward what appeared to be the – very crowded – center of town. It was a beautiful day – bright and warm, with a light breeze. Kyra allowed herself to relax as they walked, enjoying the feeling of Mangate's two suns on her face. Suddenly, Riddick grabbed her elbow and pulled her into a small shop. Looking around her, she waited, puzzled. Riddick was glancing around, looking for something. When he found it, he smiled and started to the other side of the store.

"Wait," Kyra muttered, trailing along in his wake. "What the hell are we doing here?" Riddick didn't answer. Digging around in a small bin, he grabbed something then handed it to her.

"Here," he said. Reaching into a pants pocket, he produced a chip and gave her that as well. "Go pay, I'll meet you outside." He brushed past her, lingering a bit longer than he should have, and left the store. Kyra stared after him. It wasn't until the jingling of the small bell over the door startled her that she realized she was still holding whatever Riddick had placed in her hand. Looking down, she saw a pair of black goggles, similar to his, but smaller. _But…?_ Kyra didn't even bother with the thought. Quickly, she paid the cashier and left the shop.

Riddick was standing outside, as he'd said, an unlit cigarette held between two fingers. He'd grabbed it out of her pack back on the ship, when he'd gotten her goggles. Now, he alternated watching the cigarette as he twirled it over the backs of his knuckles and scanning the crowd of passers-by for any danger. When the door opened behind him, he sighed. At least Kyra had enough sense not to argue about the goggles. Tucking the cigarette behind his ear, he waited for her to speak. Right on cue, he heard a quiet, "Thank you." She sounded surprised. Glancing up, Riddick caught the glint of the new tinted lenses over her eyes.

"Don't sound so shocked, kid. Ain't anyone ever done anything nice for you before?" She smiled at that.

"Not in a long time," she replied. _Not in a very long time._ "Where to now?" she asked, tucking her old goggles in her back pocket. Riddick didn't answer. Levering himself away from the wall, he started down the sidewalk again, scanning the storefronts as he went. Kyra sighed and tried to keep right on his heels; she didn't want to get lost in the crowd.

After a few blocks – or what passed for blocks in AFH – Riddick stopped. Glancing both ways, he quickly crossed the hard packed dirt street and stepped into the shadow of a building on the other side. Kyra followed. As soon as she set foot on the sidewalk, Riddick dragged her into the shop.

"How can I help you?" A voice with a thick Slavic accent spoke from across the store's single room. Glancing in that direction, Riddick saw an old man, standing behind a long counter.

"I need something that will help my wife sleep better," he said, moving toward the man and pulling Kyra with him. _Did I just say "wife"?_

"Do you haf a prescription?" Well, shit. Riddick didn't have an answer for that.

Kyra jumped in, smiling at the small man as she leaned into Riddick and wrapped an arm around his waist. "No. We're honeymooning, and the long flights don't seem to agree with me." This was just getting better and better.

The man behind the counter smiled. "Ahh. I sink ve haf ze perfect somethink for you." He disappeared behind a curtain and Riddick heard him moving around, muttering to himself in some other language. _Russian, probably._

"Bet you money he's speaking Russian," Kyra whispered in his ear. Riddick raised an eyebrow and glanced down at her, surprised. She shrugged. "Just a guess," she added, sheepishly. _Interesting_, Riddick thought as the man stepped out from behind the curtain.

"Here you go," he said, holding a bottle out to Kyra. "I sink zeese vill help."

Releasing her hold on Riddick, Kyra moved toward the counter, pulling her credit chip out of her pocket. "Thank you so much," she said as she paid. The man smiled again, handed her a bag with the bottle and receipt. Kyra returned the smile, grabbed Riddick's hand, and led him out of the store.

Back in the sunlight, Riddick blinked. That could have gone very badly. Flexing his hand in Kyra's, he pulled her to a stop in a narrow alley out of the crush of people. She glanced up at him, one eyebrow raised.

"Yes?" she asked. Riddick didn't say anything. Instead, he pressed a kiss to her forehead and closed his eyes. He could sense her grin and sighed. Opening his eyes again, he let go of her hand and started back up the sidewalk, toward the spaceport.

"We'll stay here a day or so – let the ship take on more fuel and water. If there's anything else you need, make a list and I'll get it." Kyra nodded, trying to match her strides to his as they made their way back to the ship.

-

Riddick was sitting at the small table in the galley, nursing a beer and pouring over charts when Kyra stepped out of the bathroom. He looked up as she wandered into the kitchen and boosted herself onto one of the counters.

"Alright," she said. "This is enough." Riddick raised an eyebrow and waited. "About the other night…" She stopped. He could smell her nervousness.

"What night?"

"In the gym. I…I'm sorry. I freaked." _Oh. That._ Taking a sip of his beer, Riddick watched her.

"It's okay," he said, his voice a low purr.

"No, it's not. I just…lost it. I shouldn't have. I mean, I'm not some stupid kid, right?" She was babbling. Suddenly, she stopped. Running a hand over her face and into her damp hair, she sighed. "I'm sorry." Kyra pushed herself off the counter and walked out of the room. Riddick watched her go, noting the sexy sway of her hips and how nice her butt looked in those pants. Taking a last drink of his beer, he tossed the bottle in the trash and followed her.

Kyra was sitting on the bridge when she heard Riddick come up behind her. She didn't say anything; nothing needed to be said. Holding an unlit cigarette in one hand, she stared idly out the big front window at AFH's spaceport.

"This ship needs a name," she blurted out, suddenly. "It's bad luck to have a ship without a name."

Riddick moved to sit in the chair next to Kyra. "Okay."

"It should be something interesting," she continued, not looking at him. "Something significant." She thought. "_Hero_? No. _Mercy_? _Jester_?" Shaking her head she muttered to herself, "Still not right. _Runaway_? _Haven_? Or maybe _Darkness_? That's closer." She sighed. "I can't think of anything that seems right."

"What about _Jack's Darkness_?" Riddick's voice startled her and she turned to look at him. She paused, thinking of the meaning behind those words…_T2_…

"'_Jack's Darkness_'? Are you sure?" He quirked an eyebrow and glanced back at her. She shrugged. "_Jack's Darkness_ it is then." Leaning forward she keyed something into the com panel. A program flashed onto the screen and Kyra entered the ship's new name. "It's a good name," Kyra said, her fingers flying over the keys. Riddick silently agreed.

He stayed staring at the name Kyra had entered into the ships com systems for a long time. He could hear her moving around – eating and getting ready for sleep – but he couldn't seem to take his eyes off the screen. _Jack's Darkness_. It had seemed right. It _was_ right.

Finally, when the light of the com screen started to bother his eyes, Riddick turned toward the interior of the ship. The spaceport was dark; he'd had some vague idea of the suns going down a little while ago. Now he allowed that darkness to wash over him. He could hear Kyra's deep, even breathing from the cabin. He wondered idly if she'd taken one of the pills they'd bought form the old Russian man. Standing, he moved silently to the room and peeked through the open door. The bag with the pill jar in it was sitting, unopened, on the night table. Frowning slightly, Riddick noticed the small bedside lamp was on. He stepped into the room, meaning to turn it off, when he glanced at Kyra's sleeping form. She was lying on her side, an open paperback trapped under her hand and her new goggles protecting her eyes.

Smiling, Riddick moved to the bunk. He turned out the light and gently tugged the book away from Kyra. She didn't move. Carefully, he removed her goggles, then pulled the blankets up around her shoulders and stood. _Sleep well_, he thought.

-

Kyra stretched languidly, enjoying the feel of warm sheets cocooning her. Opening her eyes, she spied Riddick sleeping on the floor. It was the first time in weeks he'd settled down in the cabin for the night – as far as Kyra knew, anyway. She'd wonder about it later. Silently, she crept out of bed and over Riddick's sleeping body. Grabbing some clothes, she slipped out into the hall.

The bathroom was cold; the steel of the ship's floor freezing her feet. Truly, Kyra wished for nothing more than to be able to crawl back in bed and sleep for another couple hours. But she wanted to be up and dressed before Riddick needed the bathroom – it was part of their system.

Turning on the water, she cranked the dial over to hot and let the room warm some before stripping off her clothes and stepping into the shower. She tilted her head back, letting the spray wet her skin. Working the soap into a lather, she washed her hair and body, tensing her muscles to keep from shivering in the luke-warm water. As she rinsed, she turned her face into the spray and let it drip off the end of her nose. Finally, she reached down and shut off the shower. Cold assaulted her instantly. Kyra wondered idly if the ship even _had_ heaters as she wrapped a towel around her body, tucking one end between her breasts. Using a second towel, she dried herself enough to hastily pull on her clothes. She combed her hair, then twisted the wet mass up on top of her head as the bathroom door opened. Leaning against the doorframe, she had just started brushing her teeth when she heard Riddick.

"You didn't take your pills last night."

Turning around to spit in the small sink, she replied, "I slept well enough without them." Looking back, what she saw made her mouth go dry. He was shirtless, leaning against the wall on the other side of the corridor. He held a mug in one hand, sipping from it occasionally. Kyra swallowed hard, grimacing at the taste of her teeth cleaner.

Riddick watched her brush her teeth, grinning as she tried to talk around a mouthful of toothpaste. "No more nightmares," he said, finally. "They keep me awake." Turning on his heel, he strode to the galley. He set his mug down and waited as Kyra finished in the bathroom. While he listened to her footfalls coming toward the galley, he pulled out a piece of paper and a pencil. He set them on the table as Kyra stepped through the door. "Make your list. I'll do a run into AFH today," he said, brushing past her.

She paused. "What list?"

"Things you didn't get in New Mecca," he replied, turning to face her. Her expression turned mutinous. _Uh-oh – you pissed her off._

"Like what, Big Evil?" she demanded. Riddick raised an eyebrow at the nickname.

"Like new clothes for yourself, Jack," he shot back. Sauntering down the corridor, he left Kyra standing in the galley, glaring at the back of his head.

"Of all the inconsiderate-" she started. Shaking her head as Riddick stepped into the bathroom and shut the door, she glared at the paper he'd set on the table for good measure. "Things I forgot in New Mecca," she muttered. Pursing her lips and making a rude noise, she moved to the counter. "Maybe I didn't want new clothes – did he ever think of that?" Kyra retrieved a mug and poured herself some coffee. "Probably not," she answered her own question. Sighing, she opened the cooling unit, looking for breakfast. She grabbed an apple and let the unit's door swing shut. Perching on the counter, her eyes landed on the table – and the paper.

Kyra bit into her apple as she considered the paper. _It was mocking her._ She turned away, glancing into the muddy contents of her coffee cup. As she watched the brown liquid, she unconsciously began taking an inventory in her head. She probably could use a few things…

Sliding off the counter, Kyra crossed to the table and set down her apple. "Lights twenty percent," she muttered, as her fingers closed around the pencil. She started making a list. _Fresh fruit, vegetables, sweets, soap…_ She paused, thinking, then quickly added _pants, shirt, light shoes, jacket_ at the bottom of the paper. Scowling, she picked up her apple and took big bite, turning away from the table.

Riddick was standing in the doorway. He'd watched her write a few things on the list and had seen her frown. Chuckling, he crossed to the table, brushing against Kyra as he passed her. Glancing over the list, he nodded in approval at the things she'd added for herself. Looking up, he caught her defiant glare. "I'll be back," he said shortly. Tucking the list into a pocket, he settled his goggles over his eyes and left the room.

Kyra waited until she heard the main hatch open and close before she dumped her remaining coffee in the sink. Finishing her apple, she briefly considered following Riddick. Then she shook her head. She'd wanted to look at the ship's heater anyway. Tossing the apple core in the garbage, Kyra turned off the kitchen lights and made her way to the engine room.

-

Riddick could hear someone tinkering in the engine room the second he stepped through the main hatch. Raising an eyebrow, he dropped his packages onto the pilot's chair and crept into the cargo hold, following the sounds. When he was finally close enough to see Kyra, he grinned. She was on her back, half under the ship's heating unit – only her legs and bare feet were visible, lying across the access walkway.

"You know, you really need to start wearing shoes," Riddick said, before he could help himself. He heard Kyra start and curse as she hit her head on the heater.

"That was cruel," she grumbled, sliding out so she could look up at him.

"It's true." Shrugging, Riddick turned back toward the ladder leading to the bridge. "I'll toss your stuff in the cabin. The food'll be in the galley."

Kyra wiggled her toes as she watched Riddick ascend to the rest of the ship. She could hear him moving around, putting things away. Frowning, she slid herself back under the heating unit to finish what she'd been working on. _What does it matter about my shoes anyway?_ she wondered.

Giving the ratchet she'd found one more good turn, she pushed herself onto the access walkway and up into a sitting position. Letting her forearms rest on her knees with her hands dangling, she closed her eyes and waited for the sound of the heat kicking on. Satisfied with the quiet hum, Kyra rolled to her feet and made her way up to the bridge. She could hear Riddick in the galley, probably looking over charts. Wiping the grease from her hands on her pants, she glanced down the hall before slipping into the cabin.

There were three boxes stacked neatly on the bed. Cautiously, Kyra opened the first package. Clothes. She pulled out two pairs of black pants, two black shirts, and a lightweight black canvas jacket. _Obviously the man likes black_, she thought. _So do I._

The second box held a pair of plain shoes – also black. Nodding, Kyra turned to the last package. She pulled the lid off the reveal a mass of deep green, tucked in black tissue. Sucking in a breath, she gently fingered the silky material. She hadn't asked for anything like this. _What had Riddick done?_ Reaching carefully into the tissue, she pulled out a deep green bra and let it dangle from her fingers by its straps.

"I had to ask a clerk about the color." Riddick's voice came from behind her. Kyra whirled around, clutching the bra tightly to her chest. He was leaning in the doorway, his hands tucked into his pockets.

"You _what_?" she managed to choke out.

"It should match your eyes," he continued. Kyra was suddenly struck with an image of Riddick questioning some terrified clerk, then searching a rack of green underwear for just the right size and shade. She closed her eyes tight.

"Oh," was all she could manage.

He had caught her off guard. Riddick grinned. He liked catching her off guard. Stepping forward, he breathed in her scent – apples mixed with the faint smells of sweat, engine oil, and…excitement. He moved even closer, until his body was inches from hers and he could feel the heat of her skin. When she opened her eyes, he was looking down at her.

_Beautiful_, he thought, caressing her cheek with a callused hand. Kyra unconsciously tilted her head into his palm, letting out a soft sigh. The underwear had been a joke – kind of. He'd wanted to know that there was something sexy and female under all that black clothing. He hadn't meant for it to end up like this.

"How did you know my sizes?" Kyra whispered suddenly. Her eyes flashed, and a pretty flush was starting to creep up her throat. Riddick chuckled. His mouth was a breath away from hers.

"I just know," he replied, his voice a low purr.

The kiss was explosive. Kyra's lips clung to Riddick's as her arms wound around his neck, the green bra still dangling from her fingertips. He pressed her body against his, needing to feel her flush against him. Without coaxing, she opened her mouth to him, tentatively tracing his lips with her tongue. Riddick growled, and she could feel it vibrating through his chest as he hauled her up on tiptoe, even tighter against him. His fingers played over the small of her back, scorching the skin under her shirt.

"Riddick." His name was a sigh, barely escaping her lips. He growled again. God, she felt good, pressed against him like this. Meeting her tongue with his, he plundered her mouth. She tasted fruity, with a hint of coffee – unique and addicting. Pulling back, he broke the kiss to pull her shirt over her head. Not giving her time to think, Riddick claimed her lips again, letting his hands slide up the soft skin of her back. He could feel her fingers clutching at his shoulders and he groaned.

"I want you," he muttered against her lips. He swallowed her soft sigh of pleasure as one of his hands trailed along her ribcage to cup her breast. She didn't pull away this time. Instead, he felt her fingers exploring his back and he groaned again. "Oh, God. _Jack_."


	9. Thirty Minutes

_Author's Note: Here it is. I hope you think it's worth the wait. The song posted below had something to do with the inspiration for this chapter. I enjoyed all your reviews on the last update - I'm glad it was so well-received. Please read and review - and enjoy._

_Thirty Minutes; t.A.T.u  
_…_Thirty minutes a blink of an eye  
__Thirty minutes to alter our lives  
__Thirty minutes to make up my mind  
__Thirty minutes to finally decide  
__Thirty minutes to whisper your name  
__Thirty minutes to shoulder the blame  
__Thirty minutes of bliss  
__Thirty lies  
__Thirty minutes to finally decide…_

_Shit._ Riddick broke the kiss, allowing Kyra to step back. He could hear the pounding of her heart, mingling with his rapid pulse. His hands fell to his sides, his fingers already itching to feel her skin again.

"Um…" Her breathing was rapid. Riddick groaned and leaned his head back, staring at the ceiling.

"Um," he agreed. Bracing himself, he moved further away from Kyra. "I should go," he said.

Kyra took a deep breath and held it for a moment. Letting it out slowly, she whispered, "What would happen if you stayed?"

"Kyra," he warned. _Jack_, his mind said. She looked up at him, waiting. "I'm gonna take a cold shower." He instantly saw the idea forming behind her shined eyes. "Don't be waiting when I get back," he added. Turning, Riddick walked stiffly out of the cabin.

Kyra watched him go, trying to keep her knees from buckling. When the door to the bathroom closed behind him, she sat down hard on the bunk. Running a hand over her face and into her hair, she let her mind wander. She hadn't ended the kiss this time – it had been Riddick. Leaning back against the wall, she glanced at the small clock attached to the night table. She had maybe half an hour – at the most – before Riddick came back. Did she want to be here? She wasn't stupid – she knew what would happen if she stayed. The real question she was simply if she really wanted to be with Riddick. _Do you need to ask?_

She levered herself off the bed and picked the bra up off the floor. Again, the image of Riddick shopping for just the right shade of green satin underwear popped into her head. Smiling slightly, she grabbed the other two boxes and crossed to the cabinet. She tucked her clothes away, stacking them neatly with her other things, then searched out her paperback and settled in to read. When Riddick walked through that door, she would be waiting. Then, well…whatever was going to happen would happen.

-

Riddick braced his hands on the shower wall and let the freezing water sluice down over his broad back. What had he been thinking? It had been perfect – he'd been so close to finally being able to…_Nope. Not going down that road._ But his mind wouldn't let it rest. _If only he hadn't called her _Jack.

"Fuck." Turning his face up to the spray, he squeezed his eyes shut. That didn't help. Images of Kyra flared up in his mind. He couldn't deny that part of him wanted to finish this shower, get back to the cabin, and find her waiting for him – lying naked on the bunk…

Shaking his head fiercely, Riddick wiped the droplets from his eyes. He shut off the water and stepped out of the cramped shower stall. He dried off, pulled on his pants, and opened the door into the narrow hallway. Holding his goggles and shirt in one large hand, he crossed to the cabin and keyed the door open.

Kyra was lying on the bed; she'd looked up when he'd walked into the room. The small reading lamp cast her in a soft glow. Riddick stopped, dropping his shirt and goggles to the floor. "I thought I told you to be gone," he rumbled. She shrugged.

"I decided to stay."

"Kyra, get out of here. Now." He held himself rigid, even as his body screamed to go to her. Oh God, she was sitting up…looking at him with those amazing silvered-green eyes…_Oh, God._

Kyra reached over and turned the bedside lamp off. "Or what?" she asked. Her voice was little more than a purr that sent a tremor coursing through Riddick's straining body.

He couldn't take it anymore. Slamming his palm on the keypad to shut the door, he left his shirt and goggles where they'd fallen and crossed to Kyra. He caught her familiar scent and grinned. Resting his hands at the foot of the bed, he watched her. "Wanna play a game?" he asked. In the dark, he could see her smiling at him.

"What did you have in mind?" she whispered, beckoning him closer. Slowly, he crawled up the bed until he was resting on his elbows, pinning her to the mattress.

"How about 'capture the flag'?" he asked, leaning down and claiming her lips with his.

The kiss was long and slow, heating every part of Kyra's body, and when Riddick's tongue traced the line of her lips, she opened for him. He groaned, and plundered the warm recesses of her mouth. She was so beautiful, and, for tonight, she was all his. Adjusting his position, never breaking the kiss, Riddick slid a hand up, under Kyra's shirt. As he explored the silken softness of her skin, he felt the smooth surface marred by several thin scars, tracing across her hip. His large hand traveled up her ribcage, and he felt more of the small imperfections. Pulling back, he frowned; his silver eyes gleamed in the dark. He could sense her embarrassment as Kyra blushed and turned her face away.

"Sorry," she whispered, pushing Riddick's hand away.

"Who did this?" he asked, leaving his palm resting gently on her ribs.

"It doesn't matter," she said. "I'm sorry. I'll go. This was a bad idea." She tried again to roll away from him.

"Who did this, Kyra?" His fingertips traced a particularly long scar that ended just under the curve of her breast. She opened her mouth to brush him off again, when his eyes flashed at her. "Was it the guards?"

"Yeah. And the convicts. And other people." She stared up at him. "I got off light."

_That ain't true, kid_, Riddick thought as he remembered the thick scars crisscrossing her back. Growling, he captured Kyra's lips in a vicious kiss. The hand lying idly on her ribs was suddenly cupping her breast, toying with her nipple. They had hurt her – left scars. He felt a murderous rage filling him. _I should've been there._

Riddick dragged his lips from hers and kissed a line down the satiny skin of her neck. He heard her give a soft moan as his tongue swirled in the hollow of her throat. Tasting her collarbone, he let his body rest on hers. He felt her wriggle under him and growled. "Be still, woman."

He knew he was being rough; he could feel his fingers biting into the soft flesh of her curves, but he couldn't help himself. Reaching between them, he tore his lips from Kyra's as he yanked her shirt over her head. Riddick could feel her short nails digging into his back as he dropped it to the floor. His eyes traveled down her body, caressing every inch of exposed flesh. Then he stopped, staring at the lacy scrap of fabric covering her breasts. _Well, shit._ Giving a groan that was mingled pleasure and pain, Riddick closed his mouth over one nipple. Kyra cried out.

She pulled him back up her body, fusing her lips to his. Their tongues dueled as their hands raced over each other's bodies – learning every curve…every plane…

"Say you want me," Riddick growled suddenly. He broke away from her mouth, trailing his tongue to her ear. "Tell me you want this."

"Yes," Kyra whispered, her head falling back so he could taste the slim column of her throat. His teeth grazed the sensitive flesh over her pounding pulse and he savored the feel of its erratic beating. When he swirled his tongue in her ear, she arched up, pressing body into his. Deftly changing his position, he glanced into her eyes, just as she pushed against his shoulder. They both rolled off the bunk and onto the floor, Riddick cushioning Kyra's body as they landed.

With desperate fingers, she yanked open the fastenings on his pants. He groaned as he felt her slender hands close around him. Capturing her mouth with his, he reached up to cup her breast. He ran a thumb over her nipple and felt it tighten under his palm. He was enjoying the feel of her skin under his hands – she was so soft… Suddenly his attention was brought crashing back to Kyra – or more pointedly, what Kyra was doing. She was stroking him, caressing him, bringing him to the edge. Then her body was sliding down his; her tongue leaving a trail to…_Oh, God._ Riddick emptied his lungs in a rush as Kyra closed her mouth over him, caressing his length with her tongue. "Oh, God, Kyra," he groaned. His hips bucked under her, and she couldn't suppress a small smile of triumph.

Riddick couldn't take it. He dragged Kyra up his body and rolled her under him. The need pulsing through him pushed his control to the limit. With hands that shook, Riddick slid Kyra's pants over her hips and down her legs. Another lacy excuse for a piece of underwear greeted him. Kyra watched him, her eyes lighting with pleasure at his touch. They stared at each other for a moment, then Riddick cupped her in his large hand. She let out a small moan as his fingers slipped beneath her underwear, brushing her sensitive skin. Then it was Riddick's turn to groan as he slid a finger into her and found her wet and ready. Kyra thrust her hips against his palm, and he felt his control snap.

Tearing away the lacy fabric, Riddick drove into her, burying himself in her tight, hot sheath. _God, it was like heaven._ He paused, just savoring the feeling of being deep inside her. Then Kyra wrapped her legs around his lean hips, pulling him deeper into her body. They moved together, silvered eyes locked, bodies slick with sweat. The passion between them built, and he could feel her nails scoring his shoulders.

Suddenly, Kyra's eyes slipped closed, her body bowing up in climax as she screamed Riddick's name. Feeling her muscles contracting around him, Riddick thrust one last time, crying out as he found his own release.

-

It was a long time before either of them could speak. They were lying on the floor, bodies entwined, when Kyra broke the comfortable silence.

"How did you know my eyes are green?" she asked sleepily. Riddick turned his head and opened one eye to look at her. "Well, they _were_ green. Before…" She trailed off.

"It doesn't matter," he rumbled, closing his eye.

"I wanna know." Pulling a blanket off the bunk, she covered their cooling bodies and settled her head on Riddick's shoulder. She closed her eyes and waited for him to start speaking. He was silent for a long while. Finally, Kyra poked him in the ribs. "Well?"

"Each color has a certain tint with a shine." She nodded – that was old news. "I just figured out how each color looked." He paused, thinking about all the work he'd put into adapting to his shined eyes. Kyra was silent, breathing deeply, but he knew she was still listening. "I worked with what I knew," he muttered, "green grass, blue sky, grey rock…" He stopped, glancing down at the top of her head. Cautiously, he asked, "Did I have the color right?"

Kyra instantly knew what he meant. "Yeah," she said, rolling gracefully to her feet. "You were dead on." Crossing to the cabinet, she dug around a bit before pulling out a cigarette and a match. She sat back down next to him, wrapping a sheet around her body.

As soon as she touched a flame to the tip of the cigarette, Riddick muttered, "Those'll kill you, kid."

"I know." Grinning in the darkness, she shook out the match. Then they sat in silence for a while, resting. Nothing but the sound of their breathing broke the quiet, and they both tried to hold onto that sexual afterglow for as long as they could.

"Why'd you do it?" Riddick asked suddenly. His hands were folded behind his head as he stared at the ceiling.

"Do what?" Kyra watched the smoke of her cigarette curl into the still air of the cabin.

"You shipped out with mercs." She could hear the anger – and the pain – in Riddick's voice.

"I was looking for you." It had always been that simple; they had provided a means to an end. _It just wasn't then end I was looking for._

"How'd you end up in slam?" _God, he was talkative tonight._ Well, she could be talkative, too.

"The mercs slaved me out. I became a statistic – abused, drugged, raped…But I was stronger than the other stats. I finally killed the fucker that held my slip."

"Just one murder landed you in Crematoria?"

"You know better than that." Kyra took a drag on her cigarette and let the action soothe her. She could see the glowing ember shaking in the dark.

"You ran." It wasn't a question.

"Of course I ran. I ran from everyone." Riddick kept silent when she paused, waiting for her to continue. "They finally found me on a little planet way out in the sticks – QR9. I'd been hiding for a couple days, trying to hitch a ride somewhere…anywhere…" She winced at how weak she sounded. "But I was just a stupid kid then." She took another drag and was pleased to see that her hand had stopped shaking.

"You're still just a kid." She made a rude noise. "Maybe a bit smarter now, though." With a grunt, Riddick pushed himself to his feet. "Night, _kid._" He grinned in the darkness, watching Kyra move to the bunk. He was pulling on his pants when he heard her speak.

"Stay," she said softly. He turned to look at her. Her eyes glinted, looking right back. "Stay with me tonight," she repeated. "Please?"

He didn't have to be asked twice. Tossing his pants back onto the floor, Riddick slid into bed next to Kyra. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her back against his chest and holding her tight. He fell asleep breathing in her intoxicating scent.

-

Riddick woke with a start. Kyra was sleeping next to him, curled up on one side with her head on his shoulder and a possessive arm thrown across his chest. _What the-? Oh, yeah._ Shaking his head at the memories of last night, he sat up, crawling carefully out from under the sheets. He pulled on a pair of pants, discarded the night before, and left the room. Moving up the darkened corridor, he could see something blinking on the bridge. _Com lights?_ It was still dark in the spaceport, making the flashing panel reflect down the hall.

When he reached the cockpit, he saw an online-news update waiting for him. He read the file and sat down hard. It suddenly felt like someone had sucker punched him in the stomach. The update flashing over and over on the small com screen made Riddick's blood run cold. There was a payday on both their heads – more than enough to get an army of mercs on their tail.

"How much are we worth?" The question came from behind and to his right. Riddick started, pleased that Kyra had learned to be so quiet, and annoyed at himself for not hearing her.

"Enough," he answered. She gave a low whistle as she moved to sit in the chair next to him. "Too much," he added.

They sat in silence for a while. There wasn't anything to say. Kyra had wrapped herself in a blanket, and she pulled it tighter around her shoulders as they watched the brief news bulletin over and over. As it ran its repeating cycle, they both realized that they'd probably spend the rest of their lives running. Suddenly, Kyra spoke.

"I won't go back to slam again, Riddick," she said softly. She turned to face him. "I spent too much time there – I can't go back." She stared at him. "It'll kill me to have to go back." Riddick's mind threw up a memory of the thick, ugly scars crisscrossing her back – of her voice in the darkness, talking about running. She knew there was fight waiting for her that she wouldn't be able to win.

"You're not going back to the slam. Neither of us is." The words were quiet, trying to reassure both of them. His heart felt as if it were breaking – the scared look in Kyra's eyes hurt him. Even as he wrenched his eyes away from hers, he was assaulted with memories…

"_Promise me you won't leave us, Riddick," Jack said. The skiff was on a course for New Mecca, all they had to do now was wait. "Promise that you'll stay."_

_"I don't make promises, kid."_

Shaking off the painful thoughts, he brought himself back to the present. "I promise you," he said.

"You don't make promises, Riddick." Running a hand through her hair – still messy from their lovemaking – she stood and started to leave. Riddick caught her arm, stopping her. Their eyes met and held for a moment. "I won't go," she whispered, mingled fear and determination showing in her eyes. He released her then, and she left the bridge as silently as she'd come. Riddick watched her disappear into the cabin. He wanted to follow her, but he couldn't shake the image of her eyes from his mind. Eyes that had seen betrayal, murder, horror…eyes so much like his own it was terrifying.


	10. Secrets

_Author's Note: Another chapter for your reading pleasure – please read, review, and enjoy…_

_Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, but the story is all mine._

Riddick opened his eyes and saw grey light seeping in through the ship's big front window. Moving slowly, still half asleep, he flipped a switch to open the com channel so he could request clearance. A blast of static filled the bridge – Tower was up.

Backwater little planets like Mangate didn't have automated control towers. Riddick had to use the radio. Flipping on the mic, he waited for a second – listening for any sign that Kyra was awake. Nothing.

"Tower," Riddick said. "_Jack's Darkness_ to Tower."

"Tower here." The voice on the other end sounded sleepy.

"Request clearance for takeoff."

"'Request clearance'? At this hour?" There was a laugh. "You're clear, _Jack's Darkness._ Go ahead. Just be sure to count us down."

"Thanks." Turning off the mic and closing the com channel, Riddick keyed in instructions to run a flight check and stood. He stretched and crept to the cabin.

"I heard." Kyra was standing in the doorway, watching him. He nodded and continued down the hall toward the galley. She followed him – her bare feet making almost no sound. She sat at the table and he could feel her eyes watching him as he moved around the room. They were both silent as Riddick made coffee and pulled some fresh fruit out of the cooling unit. When he sat down across from Kyra, she took a deep breath.

"Okay. This is awkward." Riddick raised an eyebrow as he started peeling an orange. Sighing, she wrapped her long, delicate fingers around her coffee mug and watched his hands work. "This is really awkward," she repeated after a while. "And I don't do awkward."

"Well?" He paused, glancing into Kyra's eyes before separating the orange sections.

"Well what?"

"How do we fix it?" Popping a bite of fruit into his mouth, he waited.

"I don't know." There was a loud beep from the bridge, and she sighed. Prelim flight checks were done. "And I think it'll have to wait." Pushing herself up from the table, she moved silently down the corridor and settled herself in the co-pilot's chair. Riddick followed, biting into another orange section as he secured himself in his seat.

Flipping open the com channel and turning on the mic, he picked up the handset and spoke. "_Jack's Darkness_ counting down, Tower."

"You're still good. Green across the board."

"Thanks. I'm out." He closed the channel and maneuvered the ship out of the spaceport. Kyra shut her eyes as he set the com systems for takeoff – she was staring at his hands, imaging how they'd felt on her body…_Stop that._ Instead, she let her mind drift to other things, refusing to think about the man sitting next to her. Refusing to think at all, until she could look out the front windows and see nothing but stars.

Riddick was almost hyper-aware of Kyra's warm body in the seat on his right as he guided _Jack's Darkness_ out of the atmosphere and away from the major shipping lanes. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was slightly strained. He glanced at her as he set the autopilot. She was nervous. _Of what?_ Unfastening his safety harness, he stood and stretched. He suddenly felt Kyra's gaze on him and he turned to face her. "Still awkward?" he asked.

"Very." She hadn't moved. He shrugged.

"I'll leave it up to you, kid." Turning on his heel, he sauntered into the bathroom and closed the door. Kyra heard the lock snap into place just before the water started. _So he was still locking her out? Interesting._

Releasing her harness, she went to the cabin and attempted to put the room in some sort of order. They had really gone at it, last night, hadn't they? Blushing, Kyra inhaled Riddick's smell as she folded the sheet they'd left on the floor. She was preoccupied with cleaning the room, half humming – half singing to herself when she heard the water shut off. Starting, she quickly finished picking up and sprawled out on the bed, pretending to read a book.

Riddick stepped into the cabin, holding a towel around his waist and carrying an armload of laundry. He could feel Kyra's eyes on him as he tossed his dirty clothes in the makeshift hamper and pulled clean ones out of the cabinet. She was watching him over the top of her book. He glanced in her direction, but she looked away – down at the open page. _Awkward._ Grinning, Riddick dressed quickly and left.

Kyra watched him go, blushing as her eyes made a quick sweep of his backside. _This sucked._ Why was this so difficult? It wasn't as if she'd never dealt with the "morning after" routine before…

Taking a deep breath, she closed her book. It was time to do something about this. She stood, leaving the cabin and striding down the hall to the galley.

Riddick was at the stove plate, pouring himself a cup of coffee and looking over some charts he had spread out on the counter. He looked completely relaxed. Growling low in her throat, she pulled him around to face her. Then she shoved him against the counter and claimed his lips with hers.

The kiss was heated, demanding a response. _Well this was unexpected_. But Riddick wasn't one to turn down a perfect opportunity. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her flush against his body. Grinding his hips against hers, he felt her moan into his mouth. One of his hands started to slip around to cup her breast as the other slid under her shirt and traced intricate patterns on the small of her back.

Suddenly, Kyra pulled away. She opened her eyes and looked up at him for a moment. Then she turned and walked down the hall to the bathroom.

"Still awkward?" he called after her. He heard her laughing as the door hissed shut behind her. Leaning back against the counter, he waited, unconsciously listening for the sound of the lock snapping into place. Nothing. _Interesting._ The water started as Riddick turned back to his coffee and sipped, contemplating one of the charts he'd spread next to the stove plate. As appealing as a wet, naked Kyra might be, he needed to get a course plotted; they could only float in space for so long without being noticed. And right now, being noticed could get them killed. Taking another drink of coffee, he made a few marks on the chart. He could hear Kyra singing to herself as she showered and he smiled.

--

"Who's got the drugs tonight? I just don't want to remember my day." Singing softly as she stripped off her clothes, Kyra practically jumped under the hot spray of the shower. She hit the chorus and started to work soap into her hair. "Everybody has already heard this song, but nobody ever believes." Breathing deep, she absorbed the scent of fresh apples. She'd discovered the scented soap on Helion Prime, before she took off, and she'd fallen in love with it. It was so good to be able to actually use it again. Smiling, she started in on the next verse as she leaned her head back and let the spray rinse her hair. She knew Riddick could hear her as she showered. For some reason, it didn't bother her. Raising her voice, she belted out the last chorus just loud enough for it to echo in the tiny bathroom. "It's the same old scenario so you pass out to dream – and the American dream is about apathy. Everybody has already heard this song, but nobody ever believes…"

Kyra stood still under the pounding spray for a few seconds after she finished rinsing off, just enjoying the warmth of the water. Far too often lately, she'd been forced to take cold showers – or no showers at all. _Funny how one can go without the necessities of life, provided you have the little luxuries, isn't that what Paris said?_ She laughed up into the spray. Showers – especially warm showers – were certainly a "little luxury". Finally, she reached behind her and shut off the water. The humid air wrapped her in a warm cloak as she stepped out into the main part of the bathroom. Wrapping a towel around her damp body, she twisted her heavy, wet curls up on top of her head, gathered her dirty clothes in her arms, and opened the door.

Steam billowed out into the hall as she crossed to the cabin. The door closed behind her as she dropped her clothes and the towel on the floor and moved to the cabinet. Pulling out a clean shirt and pants, Kyra dressed. She left her dirty clothes and damp towel on the floor – she'd take care of them later. Right now, her stomach was growling.

Riddick was still studying the nav charts and sipping coffee when Kyra sauntered into the galley. Glancing up at her, he raised a brow and hummed a few bars of some song. She blushed slightly when she recognized the tune – the one she'd been singing in the shower; she knew he'd heard, but it was still embarrassing. Growling low in the back of her throat, she opened the cooling unit and pulled an apple out of a drawer. She looked over at Riddick, taking a defiant bite of the fruit, then tried to peer around him at the course he was plotting.

"Where are we going?" she finally asked, after swallowing her bite of apple. He just grunted and made a few more marks on the chart. "Oh, I've heard it's nice there – at the right time of year." She noted the smile curling up the corners of his mouth and took another bite of fruit.

Riddick made one last mark on the nav chart and moved his coffee cup off the curling upper edge. The paper rolled up on itself as he turned to face Kyra. He took the apple out of her hand and bit into it. Savoring the taste, he tossed the fruit back to her, grabbed his charts, and left the galley, headed toward the bridge.

As he sat in front of the com panel, Riddick keyed open the autopilot settings. He worked his fingers around on the keyboard – copying his notations into the com system and entering a destination. Kyra was behind him; he could smell her; the scent of apples seemed to follow her everywhere _She's really gotta stop using that scented soap._ Not that he minded. Without turning, he leaned back in his chair and waited for her to speak. He left the destination screen open, sure she'd have some smartass comment about where they were going.

Kyra stood behind Riddick's chair and focused on the com screen. The planet locked in as their end point was a small, blue-green place with one yellow sun and three moons. _Thodn. _

_Home._

Blinking rapidly, Kyra was angry to find tears building behind her eyes, and the familiar lump forming in her throat. She would not cry. _Especially not over the home she'd never had._ Turning on her heel, she stalked to the cabin. She had to bury the sudden bittersweet shock of nostalgia, before it overcame her. Her movements were sharp and clumsy – her hands shaking and her fingers numb. God, she hated this feeling.

Carefully, she set her apple on the night table and tore open the cabinet doors. Yanking her bag out, she dug through it, searching, oblivious to the carry-all's contents now littering the floor around her. In the bag, her fingers brushed the wooden box and she grasped it. It landed in her lap with a soft tug and a flurry of loose cigarettes, the carved faerie smiling serenely up at her.

Riddick stood in the doorway, watching Kyra's mad scramble for something in her carry-all. She'd taken off pretty fast – _no smartass comment, either_, his mind added. _Interesting._ He leaned against the doorframe and switched his concentration to her as she sat back, sprawling her long legs on either side of the small mess on the floor. Cocking his head to the side, he watched as she fingered that interesting wooden box, idly tracing the carved faerie.

Kyra knew Riddick was there. She'd heard him follow her, and she could smell him as he watched her now. She ignored him, flipping open the lid and gazing down at the homemade goggles lying amid a flurry of newspaper clippings and worn photographs. Gently, she fingered a photo of a laughing woman on a swing. _Mama…_ She started when he spoke.

"Why do you keep that?" he asked; obviously, he hadn't made the connection between her reaction and their destination. She couldn't think of a good answer, so she shrugged.

"Memories, I suppose," she muttered finally, letting her eyes slip closed. _Painful memories._ Riddick nodded, keeping his eyes focused on her bent head. She wouldn't look at him. Something was wrong; where was that courage he'd seen on the planet from hell? This wasn't the same kid – maybe being in slam had fucked her up after all.

"Why'd you do it?" he asked suddenly, seeing the goggles – goggles for eyes that could see in the dark. "Why'd you get the shine?" _Where the hell had that come from?_ Kyra opened her eyes and stared up at him through the dark. She picked up a loose cigarette off the floor and twirled it absently, unlit, across the backs of her fingers. Sighing, she thought again of Thodn; of the little girl she had been on that planet, basking in the almost constant moon glow. She wondered idly how it would all look to her now, with her shined eyes – _no more colors_, she thought.

Riddick just watched her and waited. Her mind was somewhere else entirely and he let her drift, knowing he had time – he would eventually get an answer.

"I didn't like being in the dark," she finally said. He raised an eyebrow and shot her a look. "They were always waiting for me in the dark," she continued. "The convicts, the guards. All of them wanted to hurt me." She looked back down at the contents of the box, fingering the edge of another faded photo showing a smiling woman. "I figured that if I was going to die, at least I'd have a fighting chance." Closing the lid, she rolled to her knees and slipped the box back into her bag. She carefully separated the loose cigarettes, putting them in a pocket before shoving everything else into her carry-all, too. Sighing softly, forcing her mind away from memories of Thodn, she stood and put her things away. She cracked her neck, and after taking a final glance at Riddick, Kyra grabbed her apple then strode out the door and down to the galley, her bare feet silent on the metal flooring.

Riddick watched her go, letting his mind linger on the image of Kyra alone and blind in the slam. He remembered that feeling all too well, and he hated knowing that she'd had to go through the same thing. It made his hands ball into fists, ready to swing at the next person to threaten her. But no…she could take care of herself now. She still had a lot to learn, yeah, but she _had_ made it through slam all right. Relaxing, he ran a hand over he head and down his face. The stubble scratched at his callused palm and he grimaced. _Need to shave._ Growling, he levered himself out of the doorway and crossed the hall to the bathroom. As the door was closing behind him, he remembered that Kyra hadn't said anything about the destination he'd entered into the com systems. In fact, she'd been completely silent. Shaking his head, he filed the thought away; he'd ask her about it later.

--

Kyra was sitting in the galley with the lights on low, a book open on the table in front of her. She'd long since finished her apple and tossed the core in the trash bin, and now she was bent over the pages, lost in some long ago world. Riddick sat down across from her and just watched her read for a while. With her chin propped on a fist, her eyes flying over the page, she was beautiful. Riddick could feel a familiar sensation building deep in the pit of his stomach. _He wanted her._ Closing his eyes, he waited. He knew she was aware of him – aware of his presence – even if she didn't acknowledge him.

Kyra felt his eyes on her before she looked up. She was right – Riddick was watching her, and it was making her nervous. She raised an eyebrow, unconsciously folding her hands over her book, covering the pages. "What?" she asked. Riddick just shook his head, the low light casting a soft glow on the clean-shaven surface. "You shaved," she said. _Duh._ He nodded.

"Yeah." He paused, a memory surfacing – Kyra, oddly silent, standing behind him on the bridge. _Ask her now._ "You ever been to Thodn?" he said. _Better to be direct._

Kyra swallowed hard and glanced down at her fingers laced over the pages of her book. Riddick followed her eyes – her knuckles were white. "Yeah," she answered after a moment. "I been there."

_So there was more to the story._ Riddick waited. She would come out with it eventually. Kyra moved her hands and stared down at the type-covered pages she revealed. _The answer ain't there, kid._ When she finally looked back up at him, he caught sight of a shadow in her eyes.

"It was there a long time ago," she muttered. "Can we just leave it at that?" Riddick raised an eyebrow. _You know we can't._ Sighing, she continued. "I was born on Thodn. That's where I was running from when we-" She stopped and looked down at her book again. _We? "When we" what?_ "It doesn't matter." Pushing herself up from the bench, she left the galley on silent feet. Riddick paused long enough to pick up the paperback she'd left on the table, then followed her.

He found Kyra in the cabin, lying in the bunk, slightly curled up on her side. Her back was to the door, but she knew he was watching. She always knew when Riddick was watching. She could hear him, smell him, sense him, _feel_ him. She was just connected to him like that.

Kyra didn't say anything as Riddick crossed the room. She heard him drop a book – her paperback – on the night table, and felt the bed dip as he sat next to her. His hand traced a gentle caress down her side, then moved away. Kyra expected him to leave and she started when she heard the heavy thump as one of Riddick's boots hit the floor. She froze, waiting, knowing what was coming, and trying to deny how much she wanted it. _He's just getting ready to go to sleep, stupid. He'll be on the floor in minute._ But when he lay down behind her, pulling the light blanket over both their bodies, she couldn't lie to herself anymore. "What are you doing?" she asked, hesitantly; she had to know for sure.

Riddick could hear her heart beating faster, and he smiled. "Resting. You wear me out." Reaching out, he wrapped an arm around Kyra's slender waist and pulled her against him, her back pressing against his chest. God, she felt good, nestled close that way. He realized that he could sleep like this every night for the rest of his life. _She won't put up with you for that long_, a dark part of his mind taunted. _Well, we'll see._

Kyra closed her eyes and tried not to shiver as Riddick's breath whispered over the back of her neck. Any thoughts she might have had fled as he pressed her close. All she could think about was how good he felt, and how safe he made _her_ feel. _Dear God, what had she gotten herself into?_

--

Riddick woke to find Kyra curled up almost on top of him. Her head was nestled on his shoulder and one of her legs was tangled with his, while the other was thrown across his body in a casually possessive gesture. Feeling a slight pressure on his chest, he saw that one of her arms was draped across him as well. He smiled down at her, liking the way she fit with him. He could live with this, he decided, remembering his thoughts last night. He could live with this very easily.

Kyra sensed the change in Riddick's breathing even before she woke. Pulling herself up from a sound sleep, she opened her eyes and looked up at him. He was smiling down at her. Blinking the sleep from her eyes, she smiled back.

"Good morning," she whispered, nestling her head back on his shoulder.

"Less awkward this time?" he asked. It took Kyra a moment to realize what he meant, but finally –

"Yeah. Less awkward." She yawned and snuggled closer to the heat of Riddick's body. "You're warm," she stated. He didn't answer, just chuckled softly. She could feel the vibrations through his chest and smiled, too. She liked it when he laughed.

"I need to get up," he said, softly. Dropping a kiss in her hair, he untangled their bodies and slipped out from under the blanket. Kyra gave a quiet moan, protesting the sudden absence of Riddick's warmth. "Go back to sleep," he muttered, tucking the blanket around her slender body. She made another sleepy sound, but her eyes didn't open and Riddick knew she had dropped off. Sighing, he crept out of the room. Waking to find her pressed against him like that had turned him on. Since he wasn't sure how Kyra would react to being woken up in that particular way, he'd made a quick escape.

Running a hand over his head, Riddick swore and sat in front of the com panel. He'd thought that once would be enough to get her out of his system – obviously he was wrong. Growling, he glared at the com screens and flashing lights. He heard Kyra making sleepy sounds in the cabin and ground his teeth. Every instinct in his body was screaming for him to go to her – to take her and find some sort of release. He couldn't. _He could…so easily…Dear God…_

Riddick was absorbed in his thoughts and didn't hear Kyra as she crept to the bridge. She sat in the chair next to him and tilted her head to one side. Looking out the front window she pretended count the stars. She'd tried to go back to sleep after Riddick had left, but something had been missing. _Riddick…_her mind whispered. _Shut up._ No, things weren't that way between them. Yeah, they'd slept together, but that didn't make them a _thing_… or a couple…or whatever. Shaking her head, she turned to glance at the object of her thoughts. He was staring at the com panel, a worried frown creasing his forehead. He didn't even seem to notice her, until her stomach growled.

Kyra was hungry. Riddick could sense it. Then a gurgle from her stomach confirmed it. Standing easily, he offered his hand to help her up. She didn't need it, but she took it anyway. _Interesting._ Together, they made their way to the galley. He couldn't help noticing how right her small, callused hand felt, swallowed in his huge paw.

In the kitchen, Kyra put a pot on the stove-plate and started to make tea. Riddick pulled some ingredients out of a cabinet and began fixing something that smelled really good. They moved around the small room, keeping out of each other's way without even noticing it. They were back to the old ways – _just like that_.

Kyra smiled at the thought and took the teakettle off the heat as it began to whistle. This felt _good_. As she poured a mug of the steaming brew, she sensed Riddick moving around behind her and closed her eyes, breathing deep. The other night had changed things. Kyra didn't know where she stood with Riddick most of the time anyway, and after…well, things were just more difficult. Now, on top of everything, they were going to Thodn – when she'd sworn she'd never go back. But she could deal. _Besides, the chances that we'll hit the spaceport in Merlow are pretty bad, so I probably don't have anything to worry about._ With her mind settled, Kyra sat across from Riddick as he served up breakfast.

The kid was worried. He could see that. It was about that planet; she didn't want to go back. _Dammit, was there any place in the system she _wanted_ to go?_ Sighing, he wrapped his hands around the mug of tea Kyra had set at his place. He tilted his head to the side, watching her eat for a moment before he spoke.

"We have a couple weeks or so before we get to Thodn." He paused, waiting for her to glance up at him. "We'll orbit for a day or so, and put down in Merlow when I can get us set up with safe idents."

Kyra choked on the forkful of food she'd just swallowed. _Merlow? Not good. _ "We're going to Merlow?" she asked, before she could stop herself.

Arching a brow, Riddick nodded. "Yeah," he confirmed warily. _What was the problem now?_

Kyra shrugged, forcing her face to stay expressionless. "I've always wanted to go there, is all," she said. _Oh, you little lair._ Faking a smile for Riddick's benefit, she glanced down at her food, suddenly not very hungry. "You want it?" she asked, motioning toward the plate. _Waste not, want not._

"No." He paused and considered telling her she had to eat, but the scent of fear that filled the room changed his mind. "Just put it on the counter. I'll take care of it."

"Thanks." She manufactured another smile and fled the room. Riddick watched her go, sighing. Something was going on – and he needed to figure out what it was.


	11. Coming Home

_Author's Note: Thanks forall the wonderful reviewds!Hopefully this is a better offering than the last chapter. I didn't do as good an editing job on it as I probably should have, but if I'd waited any longer, it would've taken forever for me to post it - insecurities and all that. As always, I apologize for any errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, and/or facts. Please read and review - and enjoy._

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plot - and that ismerelya creation of my twisted little mind._

* * *

The two-week trip to Thodn was uneventful. Kyra did her best to try and forget their destination, while Riddick tried to figure out what had her so worked up. Neither had any luck.

They orbited while Riddick set up idents and credit accounts for them to use, settling into a sort of routine. And before Kyra was sure she was really ready, they were prepping for landing in Merlow. Steeling herself, she sat in her chair. She fastened the safety harness and waited, eyes shut, as Riddick guided the ship – _Jack's Darkness_, she thought with a wry smile – into their slip. She heard the automated tower send the all-clear signal, and listened as Riddick unhooked his harness and stood.

"We're here," he said, softly. He'd leaned close and his breath caressed Kyra's ear. She shuddered and squeezed her eyes even tighter. _I know._ Memories flooded her mind as she peeked through lids slitted against the spaceport's bright lights. It hadn't changed much in the past six years. She idly wondered if she could still find all her "hidey-holes" – and if there was still anything in them. Maybe, she'd check later. Kyra jerked around in her seat as she heard the main hatch open. Riddick had keyed in the code while she'd been staring out the front window.

"Wait!" Kyra unfastened her harness and rose. Riddick was waiting for her at the top of the ramp, grinning – he'd known she'd follow; she always did. She moved to stand next to him, and stopped. The Merlow spaceport was spread out in front of her – glittering and alive in the waning light of Thodn's single sun. She shaded her eyes and glanced. The slips surrounding _Jack's Darkness_ were mostly empty – odd for Merlow, but she didn't mind. An absent smile curled the corners of her lips as she walked down the ramp. No matter how much she tried to deny it, this was home. And God, it felt good to be back.

Riddick watched as Kyra took in her surroundings. The expression on her face was familiar – that contented-coming-home look. _Why?_ Shaking the thoughts from his mind, he followed Kyra down the ramp.

The sun was going down, the last rays in the south mingling with the first moonbeams from the north. Kyra's smile grew wider. This was her favorite time of day – caught between the sun and the first moon. It was only four o'clock, according to the printout they'd gotten when they landed, and she found herself wondering how she'd ever adapted to another time schedule. "Welcome home," she whispered.

Riddick heard and raised an eyebrow. _Home?_ _Interesting._ Suddenly, he had an idea. He walked quickly up behind her, his footsteps silent. "What's the day to night ratio around here?" he asked, idly, leaning down to rumble in her ear.

"Eight hours daylight, twenty hours darkness," she rattled off without thinking. When she realized what she'd done, Kyra froze. _Shit._ Resisting the instinct to clap a hand over her mouth, she turned. She knew nothing would hide the slight blush rising in her cheeks. Riddick was just looking at her.

"Never been to Merlow, huh?" he asked.

Kyra tried desperately to cover her slip. "Not Merlow. I told you I was born on Thodn. I've just never been to Merlow. Until now, anyway." She was babbling. _Why had lying suddenly gotten so difficult?_ Riddick just raised his eyebrow again and gave her a look. Reaching out, he closed his hand around her wrist and pulled her to him.

"You stay here. I need to get something. We'll talk when I get back." His voice was a menacing purr, vibrating through his chest.

"But-" Kyra started to protest. He shot her a look and gave her a slight shove in the direction of the hatch.

"Don't make me lock you in." _You know I will._ She glared at him, but strode up the ramp and into the ship. Fighting the urge to grin, Riddick watched the hatch close and waited to hear it lock. Then he turned on his heel and headed into Merlow.

* * *

Kyra stared at the door, giving in to the childish impulse to stick out her tongue when she heard the lock slide home. It made her feel a little better. Pursing her lips, she turned and glanced around the inside of the ship. Well, she was stuck here, for better or worse. Might as well make the best of it; not like he would be gone all that long.

Sighing, she made her way to the exercise room. Keeping the lights off, she turned on the sound system and let the heavy bass pound out of the speakers. She ran through her dance routine, letting the music wash over her, calming her. When she finished, she crossed the hall and took a shower. She was dressed and drying her hair before she realized that Riddick wasn't back yet. Puzzled, Kyra crept through the dark ship to check the time on the com systems. 1800 hours…_6 o'clock?_ Frowning slightly, she twisted up her hair, with her thin shiv to hold it in place, and pulled on her shoes. Enough was enough; she was getting out of here.

Keying in the code, Kyra was surprised when the hatch opened easily. _Riddick hadn't locked her in._ She slipped silently from the ship and out into the light of two of Thodn's moons. The night was warm, a cool breeze caressing her skin like a lover…_like Riddick_… She shook her head, clearing her thoughts, and, shoving her hands into the back pockets of her pants, she made her way to the club district of Merlow.

The _Shooting Star_ was crowded, bodies packed into every available space. The alcohol was flowing, and the music was pounding out of the speakers. It was exactly the sort of place that Kyra loved. Checking her coat with the girl at the door, she tucked the claim ticket into her bra, grinning a bit at the feel of green satin under her fingertips. Then she made her way to what should have been the dance floor – it was too crowded to tell. Wedging herself into the mass of people, she felt her body start to move to the heavy bass in the music. A dip of the hips, a body roll, and suddenly a warm body was behind her. Male? Female. Kyra pressed back a bit, feeling two small, delicate hands sliding around to settle on her hips. _Yeah, this was good._ Grinning, she let her eyes slip closed for a second as the music washed over her.

A passing shadow brought Kyra's eyes open with a start. Riddick stood in the doorway, looking around, grinning. _Not good._ But he hadn't noticed her yet; there was still time to hide. Smiling vaguely, she danced a bit to the side and swayed away from the woman behind her, holding back a small sigh of regret as those slender hands slipped off her hips. Then, the adrenaline began to course through her body, telling her she needed to move, and fast; she could dance later. Keeping her focus on Riddick, she made her way to an empty table, wedged in a corner near the end of the bar. Here, she could watch everything, and she was relatively safe from being seen. Settling her humming body on the leather seat, she leaned back and tried to relax a bit. She kept he eyes on Riddick as he made his way to the bar and ordered a drink.

Riddick felt eyes on him – that wasn't unusual; someone was always watching him. Ignoring the sensation, he signaled the bartender and ordered a beer. He settled himself on a stool and wasn't surprised to see two women heading in his direction. Looking past them, he glanced around at the rest of the club, looking for anything suspicious. Lots of people, yeah, but no one was really paying special attention to him.

He turned when the bartender set a bottle down behind him. Grabbing the neck, he took a long drink and turned his focus back to the two women approaching him. They were good looking – a tall blonde and an average redhead. They curved in all the right places and looked good perched on their high, stiletto heels and clad in tiny, clinging dresses. _But you could snap their necks, easy_, something inside him whispered. Riddick shook his head, startled by the image of Kyra that flared in his mind. He suddenly felt guilty.

Then there was no more time to consider. The blonde sat on Riddick's left, while the red head took the stool on the right. They would be good entertainment for now – so long as he remembered he had someone much better waiting for him back at the ship.

Kyra couldn't drag her eyes away from Riddick. He was sitting at the bar with a beer in his hand, and a woman on each side of him. Fingering the shiv she'd hidden on the inside of her thigh, she watched as a feminine hand began tracing a pattern on his leg, getting dangerously close to…

Riddick's laugh brought Kyra's eyes up to his face. He was enjoying himself – genuinely enjoying himself. Blinking rapidly, she stood and moved toward the door. She grabbed her jacket from the coat check girl, then left the club and turned toward the spaceport. She shoved her hands into her pockets and allowed her body's autopilot to take over. As she mechanically made her way back to the ship, her mind began to run in circles.

She couldn't stay with him. He would leave her again; that much was obvious. If not now, eventually. _Just look at what just happened_, her mind shouted. She would wake up, and he would have taken off in the night. _Not if she left him first,_ some inner beast whispered. _He can't leave you if you're already gone._

Kyra opened the ship's hatch and kept walking – straight down the corridor to the cabin. She didn't bother to key in the locking code; she had other things on her mind.

Riddick's scent assaulted her as she opened the door, and she broke. Tearing open the cabinet, she dumped its contents on the floor. She wanted to scream, to break things. She didn't want to be calm or reasonable. She wanted…to be held, reassured. Standing amid the chaos of hers and Riddick's belongings, she crumpled. Her knees hit the hard, metal deck with a hollow sound, covering the sob that tore out of her throat. Unable to stop them, Kyra felt tears flowing unchecked down her cheeks. She didn't even bother to swipe at them – just let them drip. _She had to get away._

Finally, Kyra calmed down. Standing, she rubbed viciously at the drying tear tracks. Then she pulled her bag off the shelf and began stuffing her few clothes and books into it. Shirts, pants, underwear, paperbacks, all disappeared into the carry-all. The last thing she grabbed was her wooden keepsake box and she paused. _Maybe it would be better to leave it this time?_ Vaguely, she heard the sound of the main hatch opening and closing, but it didn't register.

When everything was packed, she grabbed her goggles off the small bedside table and hurled them across the room. She heard them connect with a wall, but didn't take the time to see the damage she'd done. It didn't matter. Opening the door, she moved silently down the corridor to the bridge.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Riddick was sitting in the pilot's chair, staring out the front windows at the deserted spaceport.

"I'm leaving." She was startled to see him, but she wasn't going to let it stop her. Shouldering her bag, she keyed in the codes to open the main hatch.

There was a loud buzz, and a soft computerized voice said, "Wrong code, please try again." _Riddick had changed the locks._

"You're not going anywhere." Kyra froze.

"You gonna stop me?" she growled. She sensed Riddick standing and moving toward her.

"You're not leaving." He tone forbade argument.

Closing her eyes, she pressed her forehead against the closed hatch. "Explain to me why I shouldn't leave now, before you go off and desert me again?" She didn't think he'd heard her at first, then he spoke.

"I won't desert you. We're stuck with each other. You're not leaving." That was the last straw.

"But you left me," Kyra shouted, whirling to stare into his eyes. "You got me to trust you, and then you up and fucking left!" Lightning quick, she pulled the shiv out of her hair and threw it across the room. It landed in the wall, inches from Riddick's head. He didn't say anything – didn't even flinch. "You left me on that planet with Imam, without even saying goodbye. You left me in New Mecca with nothing. I spent five years hating you, thinking you didn't care." She paused, taking a deep breath and trying to calm herself. _He thought he was hot shit – trying to keep his feelings from her._ "But you're not as good as you think. I know you care – _cared_ – about me. You came back, right?" A note of bitterness crept into her voice, despite her best efforts to stay passive.

Silence filled the bridge for a long moment. Finally, Riddick spoke. "Sister, you have no idea how good I am." He paused, turning slightly and yanking Kyra's shiv out of the wall. "Especially when it comes to messing with your head."

"But I'm better, Riddick." Turning, she slammed her fist into the door. "I'm better because I got nothing to lose."

_Nothing to lose?_ Riddick's mind whirled. _What the hell was that supposed to mean?_ And why did it make him feel guilty? "I didn't want you to remember me," he said, suddenly. Kyra sighed and leaned her forehead against the wall.

"You didn't want me to remember you?" She laughed harshly. "Fuck you. How could I ever forget you, Riddick? I-" _Shit._ Had she really almost said that?

But Riddick had noticed the slip. "You?" he prompted, moving across the bridge toward her.

"Nothing. Now open the goddamn door." A large hand appeared at the corner of her eye, bracing on the wall.

"You what, Kyra?" he purred. He leaned in close enough to breathe in her scent.

"Nothing. Now can we cut the Big Evil shit – it's wearing a little thin." Kyra held herself stiffly, resisting the urge to sink back against Riddick's chest and…

_No._ She was leaving. Hitching her bag up higher on her shoulder, she hung her head and took a deep breath. Riddick watched her, catching the slight scent of fear shimmering in the air around her. He was going to ask one more time, then things were going to get ugly.

"You what, Jack?"

That was it. Whirling around, Kyra's bag fell to the floor with a thump. "None of your goddamn business," she said. Her voice was cold, startling Riddick. They stood still, staring at each other through the darkness for a few moments. Then she spoke again. "Now, are you gonna open the door, or do I have pop the lock box and rewire it?"

It wasn't an idle threat. She could see the screwdriver peeking out of the toolbox tucked into the back corner of the bridge – it wouldn't be that hard to do. Kyra waited a minute, watching Riddick for any sign of reaction, then shrugged. _I guess I pop the box._ Leaving her bag on the floor, she started past him, headed toward the cargo ladder and the toolbox. She was halfway across the bridge when a strong hand grabbed her wrist. Turning, she looked up into Riddick's eyes. Something she couldn't quite name swirled in the mercury depths. Idly, she wondered what he was seeing in her own silvered gaze. It didn't matter; she was leaving.

Riddick stared down at Kyra, savoring the electric charge that tingled through him from where their skin touched. He couldn't let her leave; he wasn't sure why, but something inside him insisted that she couldn't go. "Please," he whispered, his voice low and rough. He saw the shocked expression race across her features before she yanked her hand out of his loosening grip. She didn't say anything, just turned on her heel and walked silently down the hall.

Running his hand over his face, Riddick looked down; she'd left her bag lying on the deck where it had fallen. Absently, he bent and picked it up, carrying it to the cabin. He dropped it on the bed and glanced around, his eyes lighting on Kyra's goggles. They lay where she'd thrown them, near the far wall. For a while, Riddick just stared at them. Then, slowly, he crossed the room and squatted down to look at them more closely. They'd hit the wall pretty hard – the kid had quite an arm – but aside from a scratch on one of the lenses, there wasn't any damage. Gently, he closed his hand around the strap and picked them up; then he just looked at them some more. He thought about when he'd bought them for her – how happy she'd been.

He was startled from his reverie as Kyra opened the cabin door; she was looking for something. Pausing, she glanced in Riddick's direction, raising an eyebrow, then she crossed the room and lifted her goggles out of his large hands. Settling them on her forehead, she turned and sauntered next door to the exercise room. "Lights full," he heard, as she closed the door behind her; the heavy metal muffled any sound after that. Growling, he rose and followed her.

Kyra was working over the punching bag. She didn't pause, but she could feel Riddick watching her. She didn't care. Being in Merlow again had knocked her off balance. And then, in the club…well…_fuck off balance; try out of orbit_, some inner beast whispered in her ear She had to work off some excess energy.

"You've got goggles for a reason," Riddick said from behind her. She didn't answer. Right now, she needed the spikes of pain the light was driving into her eyes. Delivering a final vicious blow to the bag, she spun toward him.

"Let's go," she growled. Tossing her goggles to the floor, she started towards him. They met in the middle of the room, circling one another like the predators they were.

"Lights off." The room was plunged into darkness. Kyra froze. While her eyes adjusted, she'd lost track of Riddick. Pulling a shiv from a sheath at the small of her back, she waited, poised for attack on the balls of her feet.

"Come out come out, wherever you are," she called in a soft singsong. A blade caressed her shoulder and she grinned. When Riddick's shiv touched her neck, she was ready. Faster than lightning, Kyra reversed positions, pressing her knife to the hollow of his throat. Standing up on tiptoe, she ran her tongue along his collarbone. Then he was gone, his taste still lingering in her mouth. Holding still, she waited. He would be back.

Riddick stood back from Kyra, watching her. He'd almost lost it when she'd licked him, but he was under control now. Staring at her, he waited as she swept the room in a slow circle. He knew she could see him – but she was too smart to actually attack. If she wanted to play, fine, they'd play. But they'd play by his rules. Grinning, he lunged. His shiv traced up her front, slicing neatly through her shirt. Kyra let it fall to the floor and laughed.

"Is that all you've got?" she asked, looking right at him. She spread her arms to her sides and Riddick could see that she held a blade in both hands. Taking advantage of the opportunity she provided, he stepped close and covered her mouth in a searing kiss. As soon as Kyra started to respond, to close her arms around him, he moved away.

"How's that?" he asked tauntingly. "Better?" A knife landed in the padded wall right next to him.

"Next time, I won't miss," she purred. Kyra watched Riddick moving around the room. They were playing his way – but not for long. She struck, pressing the point of her blade against his back. "Should I go for the sweet spot?" she whispered, pressing soft, open mouthed kisses along his shoulder. She could feel his muscles tensing and grinned. In a single, fluid motion, she cut through the back of Riddick's shirt. "Now we're even," she said, her voice a breathy sigh as she whirled away. Standing in the middle of the room, she allowed her body to relax as she waited for the next perfect moment to strike. _Big mistake._

As soon as he saw the tension slip out of her muscles, Riddick went for her. He had her pinned to the floor with his body, a shiv at her throat, before she knew what was happening. Kyra growled and tried to push him off, but he wouldn't budge.

"Game's over, kid," he muttered. "You wanna tell me what this was about?" Silence. Then Riddick understood. _The club – she was at the club._ Dropping his knife and rolling off her, he took Kyra in his arms and held her gently to his chest. "I got ya, kid. This time, I ain't letting go." He felt her body start to shake. _Delayed reaction?_ "I won't let anything happen to you."

Kyra pressed her face into Riddick's shoulder and tried to relax her aching muscles. "Promise?" she asked softly.

"Promise."


	12. Mercs

_Author's Note: I apologize for the long wait for this chapter. I really have no excuse - other than laziness and lack of inspiration. I am deeply sorry. I hope you enjoy my humble offerings - may they be to your liking. As always, I apologize for any errors, be they spelling, grammatical, factual, or any other type of error one can make. I beg for you to read and review - they encourage and inspire me. And thank you to everyone that has reviewed my previous chapters. Now - to the chapter._

_Disclaimer: Own not anything Riddick do I - but own Riddick, did I wish...hmmm..._

Riddick held Kyra until she stopped shaking, whispering soothing words against her hair. When he felt her relax in his arms, he stood and carefully made his way to their cabin – it was odd how he'd begun to think of it as _theirs_. Pushing the thought from his mind, he gently laid her on the bed and sat next to her. Then he waited, looking down at her and brushing a few stray curls out of her face. When she opened her eyes, he smiled softly.

"You want to tell me the truth now?" he asked. Kyra heaved a sigh and let her eyes slip closed again.

"No." Rolling onto her side, away from Riddick's silver gaze, she shook her head. He shrugged and rose, crossing the room and pausing at the door. Looking back at her, curled up on the bed like that, he wondered what she was hiding. Then he made his way down the corridor to the galley.

Kyra listened to him go, keeping her eyes shut tight. She wasn't ready to talk about Merlow and home yet – not without a cigarette and a strong drink first, anyway. When she heard Riddick moving around in the kitchen, her body relaxed.

She must have drifted off, her mind filled with nightmares of hard hands and chains and horrible pain…but she didn't scream. She never screamed during this nightmare – she hadn't screamed in real life, either.

Kyra woke, curled into a tight ball in the corner of the bed, her skin cool and clammy with drying sweat. Sighing, she slowly uncurled herself and stood. Her clothes were soaked through, so she moved to dig a fresh set out of… Kyra stared when she saw her carry-all lying on the floor next to the bed. _Riddick must have brought it in_, she thought, opening it and peering inside. There, on top, was a clean set of clothes. She pulled them out and changed quickly. Then she grabbed her pack of cigarettes and silently crept from the cabin.

Peering down the corridor, she saw no sign of Riddick. She caught the faint sound of someone beating the punching bag, and she smiled. _Good._ This would be easy. Her bare feet making no sound on the metal deck, she went down to the cargo hold. There, she settled down, leaning against the far wall and staring into the darkness.

Lighting her cigarette, she smoked quietly for a while, absently wishing she had something to drink. Maybe then she could work up the courage to…_Yeah, right._ Letting her mind wander, she took an absent drag off her cigarette and played at blowing delicate, smoky rings into the dark.

Eventually, she heard Riddick climbing down the ladder and sighed, exhaling a lungful of smoke. She'd known he would come looking for her. Just like she knew that it was now or never. Gathering all her courage, she focused on Riddick. She watched him, her eyes following his every move, waiting until he was close enough to hear her before she spoke.

"I killed my mother, you know," she said. Her voice was flat, devoid of any emotion. The slight pause in Riddick's stride was the only indication that she'd surprised him with her words.

"How?"

"She had a brain aneurysm while she was in labor." She paused, closing her eyes and relaxing back against the ship's cool metal bulkhead. "I killed her as surely as if I'd held a gun to her head." Kyra knew that particular bit by rote. She'd heard it every day for the first twelve years of her life. She took another drag, trying to ignore the slight tremor in her hands, as Riddick sat next to her. As he settled himself, she spied a bottle in one of his hands. Raising an eyebrow in question, she glanced at him. He didn't say anything – just waited for her to continue. "I have two older brothers," she went on, watching the smoke from her cigarette curl into the still air. "Both carried full term and both born big. I was a month early and tiny." She gave a short, humorless laugh. "But I was the one that killed her." Silently, Riddick took her free hand and squeezed. Kyra squeezed back. She didn't know why she was telling him any of this. It didn't matter now, anyway; it was all over and done with long ago. But being back after so long had sucked the dead memories from the muck at the bottom of her mind, and now she couldn't seem to let go.

Still holding Riddick's hand, she adjusted her position so she could lie on her back, staring at the ceiling of the cargo hold and blowing more smoke rings. There was more to say, she just had to figure out how to say it. Then Riddick took care of it for her. He unscrewed the cap from whatever bottle he was holding and offered it to her. Propping herself up on her elbows, she took a long pull and grinned. _Peppermint Schnapps._

"Is that why you took off?" he prompted after a moment.

"Yeah." Kyra brought her cigarette to her lips and took a long, last drag. Crushing it out on the heel of her shoe, she folded the butt into a fist. "My dad blamed me. He said I looked so much like her he couldn't stand the sight of me." She paused, waiting for the familiar numbness to creep over her before she continued. Riddick waited too, giving her hand another light squeeze. "My brothers took turns taking potshots at me, until I started hitting back. Then they just teamed up." Absently, she rubbed her left hand over her right forearm. The motion caught Riddick's eye; he could see a series of scars under the idle movement of her fingers.

"Did they do that?" he asked, peering at the marks.

"Yeah." She looked down, staring at the scars as if seeing them for the first time. She watched as Riddick's big hand slipped under hers, warming the marred skin. Carefully, he lifted her hand away and examined her arm.

"What does it say?" he asked. Even though he could tell that there was a word of some sort, he couldn't read it.

"'Killer'." Riddick's eyes flew up to meet hers. _Killer?_

"How old were you?"

"Jesus, you've got a lot of questions." Letting her arm drop away from him, she leaned back and stared at the ceiling of the cargo bay. "I was about seven or eight when they did that. Jimmy held me down and Danny did the cutting. He was the more artistic of the two." She grinned ruefully into the darkness.

"What about your dad?" Riddick asked.

"He didn't care. Far as he was concerned, the sooner I died, the better for them all." Riddick watched her. _That's pretty harsh on a little kid_. Kyra was just staring at the ceiling of the cargo bay, her arms at her sides.

"When'd you take off?" he asked finally, unable to help his curiosity.

"I was twelve." Riddick noted the small, lopsided grin she gave the ceiling.

Kyra closed her eyes and allowed memories of that day to wash over her. It had been a sunny spring day – her birthday, she remembered now. Jimmy had found her in her room, getting ready for school. She'd been running late – _stupid_. He'd found some rope somewhere – probably out in the shed – and he had it around her throat before she even knew he was there.

"_What'cha up to, Killer?" he whispered in her ear. She froze, letting her lunch money drop onto the bed. Her gaze shot to the floor, focusing on the toes of her shoes; looking Jimmy and Danny directly in the eyes was forbidden._

_ "Nothing, sir," she whispered. _

"_Doesn't look like nothing to me. Looks like the worthless girl is getting above herself. Don't it, Danny?" A knee viciously planted itself in her back, and she arched away from it, sprawling onto the bed._

"_Yeah, it does. Obviously she didn't learn her lesson last time. What have we told you about worthless little murderers who get above themselves?"_

_They didn't give her time to answer. They never did. Instead, one of them turned her over onto her back, the friction between her soft skin and the rope burning her. A heavy fist landed in her stomach, knocking the wind out of her. She gasped, trying to breathe._

"_Ple-" she gasped. _Please, just leave me alone.

"_Looks like the little murderer is trying to say something, Jimmy. Guess you didn't hit her hard enough." A hard backhand caught her squarely across the face, Danny's big ring cutting her cheek. She could feel the tears collecting behind her eyes; she could feel the lump forming in her throat. _No…please no. No tears…God no…_They would only hit her more if they saw her crying – but she couldn't help it. Tears were pouring down her face, the salty solution stinging her fresh cut._

"_Oh, look. Now she's sorry. After she killed Mom, she's sorry. Well, we're sorry, too, Killer. But, ain't this a bitch, what we do to you will heal. Nothing can bring Mom back…"_

They'd blackened one of her eyes and bloodied her lip before their father had called them for breakfast. She'd lain there, forcing air in and out of her lungs for a minute or so. Then something inside her twelve-year-old mind had snapped. She couldn't do this anymore.

Kyra remembered the feel of tears drying on her cheeks as she'd carefully collected a small bag of clothes and a few things that – at twelve – she couldn't live without. She'd crawled under the bed and hid, waiting until she heard everyone leave before setting up the ladder and pulling out the loose piece of crown molding – her secret hiding place. Her keepsake box with all her pictures had gone in her bag – the beautiful faerie smiling approvingly up at her. Then, she'd broken open her piggy bank, stuffing the money haphazardly into her pockets as she'd swiped some extra cash off her father's dresser. Slipping out the window, she'd walked to Merlow's commuter station and stowed away on the first train going to the spaceport. As the wheels started turning, squeals of protesting metal ringing in her ears, Kyra had felt tears slipping down her cheeks again. Even as she ran away, she'd cried for what she was leaving behind.

Coming out of her reverie she took a long drink from the bottle of Schnapps. "I promised myself I would never cry for them again," she said, more to herself than Riddick. "Not for Danny, not for Jimmy, not for Dad…I wouldn't cry over any of them. And I haven't."

A slight pressure on hand made her tilt her head so she could stare up at Riddick. He was looking down at her with an odd expression in his quicksilver eyes. Shaking her head, she went back to looking at the ceiling. "So, what did you go into Merlow for?" she asked finally. Carefully, she propped herself up and fished another cigarette out of her crumpled pack.

Riddick watched her as she lit up and lay back down. The acrid smell of smoke filled the air, almost covering the scent of her sorrow. _What was she sad about?_ "Just needed to pick up a few things," he said, vaguely. He didn't want to talk about it.

Kyra's head tilted back and she looked at him, grinning. "Peppermint Schnapps?" she suggested, waving the neck of the bottle a bit. He nodded once.

"Yeah."

Kyra's head returned to its former position and she smoked quietly for a while, every so often taking a drink from the bottle still clenched in her hand. She was tense – Riddick could tell from the set of her body and her strained breathing. He wondered what she was worried about, but didn't say anything. She would break the silence when she had something to say…_oh, fuck it._ Reaching over, Riddick gently tugged the cigarette out of Kyra's hand and pulled her closer to him. He settled her head in his lap, spreading her hair over his thighs and looked down at her.

"Just say it," he whispered, taking a long drag and breathing a stream of smoke straight to the ceiling.

Kyra wasn't surprised that Riddick knew she was preoccupied; he always seemed to know things like that. She considered for a moment, piecing the thoughts together in her mind. Finally, she just blurted it out. "What'd you do with the…" she paused, trying to find the right word; finally, she settled on, "the ladies?"

Riddick stiffened, remembering the women that had been pawing at him in the club. He hadn't meant for the kid to see that – just a little evening entertainment. "It didn't work out. I decided I had something better waiting for me at home."

Kyra started at that. _Something better waiting at home?_ _Me?_ Her mind raced, trying to wrap itself around that thought.

Riddick could see shocked expression on her face; could read the emotions in the kid's silvered eyes. "Yeah, kid. You." Brushing a stray curl out of her face, he leaned down and gently captured her lips with his. He raised his head when the heady scent of Kyra's arousal began to replace her sorrow. "You ready for bed?" he asked, his voice little more than a growl. She didn't say anything; simply rolled to her feet and moved quickly toward the ladder. Chucking to himself, Riddick grabbed her pack of cigarettes and followed.

He caught up to her in their cabin. Kyra sat on the bunk, waiting. The past few weeks had been an absolute hell of lonely nights – Riddick hadn't so much as hinted at wanting to sleep with her again. He'd bedded down on the floor, making no effort to climb under the covers with her. _But that was all going to change._ He could've had those women at the club, but he'd come back – _come back to me._

Riddick growled and kicked the door shut. Stripping off his shirt, he crossed to her. She was just looking at him, her shined eyes gleaming in the darkness. _God, give me a sign,_ he thought desperately. He'd wanted to feel her body against him – under him – almost constantly since that first time. He couldn't take being without her.

"Wanna play a game?" Her voice was a sexy purr. Riddick swallowed, his throat suddenly dry.

"What did you have in mind?" He moved forward until his thighs brushed the edge of the bunk.

"A rematch." She yanked her shirt over her head in one graceful move and let it fall to the floor. "Right here, right now." Reaching up, she hooked her fingers through his belt loops and pulled him even closer to her. He could smell her arousal and gritted his teeth against the urge to take her right then.

"Capture the flag?" he rasped out. Kyra didn't reply, simply looked up at him. Slowly, her hands trailed up his back and over his shoulders, bringing him down closer to her. When their lips were a breath apart, she crushed her mouth to his.

Their tongues dueled, fighting a passionate war with no losers. Riddick pushed Kyra back, down onto the narrow bunk, angling her so that she was stretched full length across the mattress. His lips never left hers as his hands traced a scorching path from her shoulders to the waistband of her black pants. The green satin of her bra brushed his chest as she breathed and his suddenly clumsy fingers couldn't work the fastenings fast enough.

Finally, Riddick wrenched his mouth away from Kyra's, moving down her slender neck. His tongue darted out, tasting the fluttering pulse hidden in the hollow of her throat. _God, she tasted good._ How had he ever even considered fucking those women in the club?

Just then, a tiny moan of pleasure escaped Kyra, slipping into the tense air. Riddick's eyes closed and he stilled as he fought for control – that soft sound was nearly enough to send him over the edge. Kyra started writhing under him, pressing her hips against his. A quiet plea whispered past her lips – "Please-"

That was it; that was all Riddick needed. Pushing Kyra's pants down over her hips, he traced a path to her breasts, nipping and sucking his way to her hardened nipples. He growled low in his throat as his mind filled with the scent of her, the taste of her. Her hands were on his back, nails biting into his shoulders as he slid down her body. A hoarse groan ripped from his throat as Kyra's hips bucked under him. Then his mouth closed over her, and she screamed as her body arched up off the bed.

"Oh, God. _Riddick._" Kyra was panting. She was_ panting._ No man had ever made her pant before – especially not as easily as Riddick did. Moaning, she ran her fingernails over his scalp and tried to drag him up her body. She needed him inside her – _now._ Almost as if he could read her thoughts, Riddick's harsh breathing caressed her neck.

"Tell me you want me," he whispered, pressing his lips to her shoulder. He wanted to bite her – to sink his teeth into the soft skin at the base of her throat as he came…

"I want you." Her breathy voice was music to his ears. "I want you _now_." Her nails raked down his back – _marking her territory_, Riddick thought idly. He let a hand trail down her body, tracing the gentle curve of her breast and the fullness of her hip. When he reached her core, he slid one finger easily inside her and bit back a growl. Then she clenched around him, forcing a groan from his throat. Taking her mouth in a hungry kiss, he moved his hand and positioned himself between Kyra's thighs. When they broke apart, they were both breathing hard. "_Now_," she repeated desperately, pressing her hips upward.

"Now," he agreed, thrusting forward. Feeling Kyra's tight muscles closing around him, drawing him in, he growled. _God, woman, the things you do to me,_ he thought, throwing his head back. She arched up against him, wrapping her long legs around his waist and pulling him even deeper inside her. Riddick felt his control snap. He began to move, pumping in and out of her in hard, fast strokes.

Sensations built between them – spiraling them higher and higher until Kyra was sure she couldn't survive. Then her world exploded. Clinging to Riddick, she felt him stiffen above her. The ground was spinning; nothing was stable – except Riddick. And Kyra held onto him as if he were her only lifeline and she were drowning at sea.

Burying his face in her shoulder, Riddick whispered Kyra's name and pressed a kiss to her soft skin as he found his own release. Then, basking in the afterglow of their lovemaking, he just breathed her in. He could feel his temperature dropping, but he didn't have the energy to move; she'd worn him out.

Kyra's eyes fluttered closed. The comfortable feeling of Riddick on top of her was soothing. His weight pressed her into the hard mattress, but she didn't mind. Idly, she reached around him to pull a sheet up over their sweat-slicked bodies and sighed. She could feel herself slipping toward a deep, dreamless sleep; for once, she didn't mind. Smiling slightly, she traced one final stroke up Riddick's back and drifted off.

Riddick found the energy to roll to his side as he felt Kyra relaxing under him. Pulling her back against his chest, he grinned. He adjusted the sheet over their cooling bodies, then allowed his muscles to relax. He'd even begun to doze off when he heard a familiar sequence of beeps from the bridge.

Riddick forced himself to lie still. _No need to panic until you're sure there's something to panic about, right?_ Carefully untangling himself from Kyra, he pulled on his discarded pants and crept silently from the room.

In the corridor, he could see the flashing com lights and felt fear collecting in the pit of his stomach. The pattern began to repeat itself as Riddick settled himself in the pilot's chair. Turning to face the blinking lights on the com panel, he bit back a curse. He'd known it. That sequence could mean only one thing; it had haunted his dreams – what few he had – for years.

_Mercs._

_Shit._


	13. Dream Battles

_Author's Note: Okay - so I said August, and it's now almost half-way through September. I apologize. Moving out of my house and down to college took its toll on my time. I think my muses got lost somewhere along the way, too. Either way... It's a short chapter, and probably not edited as well as it should be. I just...it's one of those things I need to post now, or it will never get done. Thanks to all of you that have stuck with me and my sporadic postings. Now, without further ado, I offer up chapter 13. Please forgive any and all errors as the fault of the author/editor. And, as always, read, review, and enjoy._

Kyra woke with a start, the feel of phantom hands and unwanted caresses still tingling over her skin. She hadn't dreamt of the mercs in years – not since slam, at any rate. She had too many other horrors to have nightmares about. Why the dreams should suddenly start up again was a mystery – and for another time. Right now, all she wanted was someone to hold her and tell her that it wasn't real. She smiled as she realized that for the first time in a long while – maybe for the first time ever – she had a person that could do just that.

Sitting up and wrapping a light blanket around her cooling body, Kyra glanced around for Riddick. She knew he wasn't there – she couldn't hear his breathing – but she looked anyway. Reaching out a hand, she felt the bed next to her. _Still warm._ He hadn't been gone long.

She gave a small sigh as she pushed her tired body out of the bunk; the day's activities were starting to take their toll. She winced when her bare feet hit the cold metal floor and pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders. Smiling slightly, she sighed and shook her head; she'd just fixed that damn heater.

Still grinning, she stood. A beeping noise was coming from somewhere on the ship and she figured Riddick was probably on the bridge. Dragging the blanket with her to the door, she silently moved out of the cabin and down the hall. There he was, sitting in the captain's chair and staring at the com panels. Kyra paused behind him, frowning when he didn't turn. Moving to sit in the seat next to him, she felt fear curling in the pit of her stomach when he didn't even move a muscle. Something was wrong. Something had to be wrong – Riddick was always aware of everything. He never just - just _sat there_.

Kyra opened her mouth to say something, when the blinking com lights caught her eye. The sequence of beeps she'd been hearing finally registered. Staring at the panel – seeing the warning – it all became sickeningly clear.

"Mercs," she said. The word sounded dirty, hanging in the air between them.

Riddick didn't say anything for a moment. Then – "We have to get off this rock." Kyra nodded; that was obvious. But –

"Where do we go?" she asked. They probably had a lock on the ship by now – running wasn't going to be easy.

"Don't know. Figure it out later. Right now, secure your shit. We're leaving." Kyra felt the vibrations of the engines as he started the ignition sequences.

A whirring filled the ship as Riddick keyed in a few more codes and dialed up the control tower. No time to run a sys check before take-off. They'd just have to take their chances. Vaguely, he noticed the kid darting back to the cabin. Hopefully she was doing what he'd told her – securing everything. Once he got clearance from the tower, they were gone.

Then, she was back. A com screen flashed green – the signal to go. _At least they would get off the ground somewhat safe._ Riddick looked over at her, raising an eyebrow in a silent question.

_You ready for this?_

Kyra awkwardly fastened her harness around her blanket and glanced back at him, mimicking his expression.

_Just get us off the ground._

A soft beep from the com panel was all Riddick needed. He flipped a few switches and started the takeoff sequence before the readout from Tower had even finished printing.

The sudden acceleration of the ship pushed Kyra back into her seat. She clutched at the sheet still wrapped around her body and gritted her teeth. This wasn't going to be a smooth take off. She watched as Riddick guided _Jack's Darkness_ up and out of Merlow's airspace. She felt the heat baking the outside of the ship as they burned out of the atmosphere; and when they were finally surrounded by the blackness of space, she let out the breath she hadn't known she'd been holding.

"We're clear," she said softly.

"For now." Riddick ran a quick inventory check on the ship's files and growled. He shut down all the peripheral systems, then pulled his star charts out of storage. Standing, he strode quickly to the galley, leaving Kyra still fastened in her chair. For a minute, she considered going after him, then she changed her mind. Instead, she keyed up the main com screen. Riddick had set the autopilot for a controlled drift, orbiting one of Thodn's moons.

She worked her way through the system, looking for future flight plans. Not finding any, she ran a check on the fuel supply. If they weren't going anywhere, how long could they afford to stay where they were?

A small bar popped up in the bottom right corner of the main com screen. The line was running dangerously close to the red – low fuel. Frowning slightly, Kyra tore her eyes from the gauge. She keyed in a sequence and watched as a small window opened on the screen. There was a list of figures, and a small number at the bottom – a total funds read-out. Kyra quickly did the math in her head and compared it with current fuel prices. _Uh-oh._

"Um…Riddick?" Kyra called softly over her shoulder, not quite able to take her eyes from the screen. There was no response. "Riddick?" she tried again, glancing down the corridor. When he didn't answer her, she unfastened her harness and made her way back to the galley. She saw him, bent to study the charts he'd spread out on the small table. "Riddick?" she said once more. His head snapped up, his silver eyes gleaming in the darkness. He waited, watching her.

Swallowing hard, Kyra took a step closer. She bit her lip, then burst out, "We're low on fuel."

"I know."

"Oh." Riddick went back to studying his charts, obviously dismissing her. Kyra waited until he looked up at her again.

"Yeah?" His voice was an exasperated growl.

"We're also low on cash," she whispered.

Riddick froze. _Low on cash._ That meant they had to put down somewhere fast – put down for good. For a while anyway. His mind was whirling. Looking back down at his chart, he realized that there really wasn't any hope of getting away from Thodn. When he brought his eyes back up to Kyra, he saw instant understanding written on her face.

"I might still have some things stashed out around the port in Merlow. And I think I can probably score us a good apartment for low rent." She didn't bother fighting it. As soon as she'd seen the funds list pop onto the screen, she'd known that going back to Thodn was the only way.

Riddick nodded and looked down at his charts one last time. Rolling them up, he resigned himself to the thought of setting down semi-permanently and moved past Kyra on his way to replace the maps.

Kyra watched him walk down the corridor. Despite the gravity of the situation, she couldn't resist letting her eyes slip down over his broad shoulders, past his lean waist, to settle on his firm backside. _I hate to see you leave, baby, but oh, how I love to watch you go_, she thought idly.

_Where the hell had that come from?_

Shocked, Kyra dragged her eyes from Riddick's retreating form. Something was wrong with her – it had to be. Yeah, she'd been with other guys before, but she'd never been this attracted to someone. It scared her. _No, face facts_, she told herself. She wasn't just scared – she was fucking _terrified_. Pivoting on her heel, she strode to the counter and started making coffee. No tea, today. She needed something stronger.

Tossing the coffee and water into the pot, she turned on the little machine and sat on one of the hard benches, waiting. She folded her arms on the table and stared into the blackness around her. Her eyes drifted closed and she thought about Merlow – more specifically, the spaceport. All her hidey-holes and stash spots slowly returned to her as she worked through her mental map of the building. She may not be small enough to crawl through the air ducts, anymore, but she could probably still get to most of the credit chips she had hidden away.

As the scent of fresh coffee began to fill the galley, Kyra's head fell forward, coming to rest on her folded arms. She was exhausted, fighting battles with herself during her waking hours, along with her dream wars that never seemed to end. Let Riddick take care of things for a while, she could sleep…

Kyra dozed off, falling into a deep, dreamless slumber, her head resting on her arms as she sat at the galley's small table.

-

Riddick followed the smell of coffee to the kitchen, some time later. He found Kyra half-sitting at the table, out cold. Without thinking, he carefully gathered her into his arms and cradled her against his chest. Then he carried her down the hall, to the cabin. Laying her down, he tucked a blanket securely around her. Gently, he brushed a stray curl behind her ear, freezing when she made a sleepy noise and nuzzled her cheek against his hand. When she didn't move again, Riddick breathed a sigh of relief and crept from the room.

Despite the pills from the doc on AFH, Kyra still wasn't sleeping well. There was always some nightmare – some dream monster that she couldn't seem to fight alone. Sinking slowly into the pilot's chair, Riddick rubbed at his forehead. Knowing about her brothers – her life before that hell planet – explained some of the dreams. But by no means did…_what were their names…Jimmy and Danny? Yeah…Jimmy and Danny can't be causing all those nightmares._

Sighing, he leaned his head back and closed his eyes. The ship was programmed to orbit Thodn's second moon once, then set a course for the spaceport in Merlow. They'd have to register a new name into the systems, and Riddick would have to set up new idents and credit accounts… _Credit accounts for what?_ he thought ruefully. Not like they had any money. A small smile touched his lips as he thought about having to get a job…a real job. _Guess you're gonna get a normal life with me after all, huh, Jack?_ Shaking his head, Riddick opened his eyes and focused on the com screen. He opened the window leading to the mainframe and reset the ship's name; _Jack's Darkness_ became the TQS13. Quickly, he wiped anything traceable and changed most of the registration information in the ship's hard drives.

Riddick heard Kyra moving around in the cabin – tossing and turning it sounded like. She muttered something, but it was too quiet for him to hear. Sighing, he shut down the com screen and pushed himself out of his chair. A soft whimper whispered down the hallway as he moved toward the open door. He paused in the doorway, catching sight of Kyra curled up in a tight ball, squeezed into the upper corner of the bunk and rocking back and forth slightly. She had one hand clutched tightly to her chest, while the other held firmly to her knees. Then she made another one of those scared little noises.

Riddick was across the room in two steps. He still wasn't quite sure how to comfort her, but if only he could get her to stop making that noise…that soft, helpless whimper that tore at his heart… Awkwardly, he pulled Kyra against his chest, resting his chin among her soft, riotous curls. He felt the arm around her knees relax and sighed. She was going to be okay. Then he felt the tip of a shiv scrape lightly down the inside of his arm. Pulling back slightly, he caught a faint glimmer of metal, shining dully in the darkness. _A knife?_ Riddick stared at the blade in Kyra's hand for a second longer before pulling it from her relaxing fingers. Examining it, he admired the work. It was definitely big enough to do some damage, but still small enough to easily conceal almost anywhere.

_But what was the kid doing sleeping with it?_

Riddick, careful to keep Kyra tucked against him, leaned over and set the shiv on the bedside table, next to the lamp. He'd ask her about it later. Right now, Kyra had calmed enough to fall back into a sort of peaceful sleep; he wasn't going to risk waking her.

Being careful not to disturb the woman in his arms, Riddick adjusted his position so that he could rest comfortably. He barely had time to wonder if he was actually going to sleep before he drifted off.

-

Kyra woke and stretched languidly. She could feel Riddick's arms tighten around her slightly and she smiled. She was enjoying the feeling of simply being held until she remembered her dreams last night. The mercs again…the second time in as many days. She remembered thrashing around and idly wondered if she'd woken Riddick. _Probably._ Unconsciously, her hand groped around the corner of the mattress, searching for her shiv. Her fingers met nothing but the cold, lumpy bunk. No cool metal; no familiar curve of steel…nothing.

_Oh, shit._

Had she pulled her shiv on Riddick? Had she been in the grips of a nightmare and pulled her fucking _knife_ on him?

Trying not to wake Riddick, Kyra wriggled out of his arms and sat on the edge of the bed. She rested her head in her hands, trying to remember. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of something on the bedside table. Turning, she saw her blade sitting next to the small lamp. Sniffing slightly, she allowed herself a sigh of relief. _No blood._ So she hadn't cut him, at least.

Kyra glanced over her shoulder at Riddick and caught a glint of silver. He was awake. She felt his arm slip gently around her waist and smiled.

"I didn't mean to wake you," she whispered. He didn't say anything. "So we're back to the strong, silent thing again?" Again, nothing. Kyra shrugged and stood. Riddick's arm still clung to her hips, and she gently pushed it away. "I need a shower," she said, moving toward the cabin door. She had her hand on the keypad when Riddick spoke from behind her.

"Who's the knife for?"

Kyra stopped cold. "No one."

There was a pause, then she could feel the heat of Riddick's body on her back. "Liar," he whispered, his breath caressing her ear.

Kyra didn't answer. Instead, she punched in the opening code, trying to ignore her sweaty palm. The door opened with a soft hiss and she stepped out into the hall.

Riddick watched her go. Something was up. He knew he was pushing her buttons – _working her nerves_ – but he couldn't help it. The signs were all there – he just had to get the kid to admit it. Then, he could kill the fuckers that had abused her; he could punish the assholes that haunted her dreams.

Finding a refuge of sorts in the bathroom, Kyra listened to the door close behind her, quickly keying in the lock. _Why didn't she just tell him?_ She wanted to beat her head against the wall…why couldn't she just spill the whole story?

Because she'd been keeping that secret for five years – not even Riddick was going to pry it out of her.

Sighing, Kyra let her head fall back against the door. The dried sweat on her body was starting to itch, breaking her out of her reverie. Heaving another sigh, Kyra pushed herself away from the door as she yanked her shirt over her head. She reached into the shower and turned on the water, then quickly stripped off the rest of her clothes. Steam had started to cloud the mirror as Kyra stepped under the scalding spray. Taking the soap, she lathered her hands and started to scrub.

As the suds slipped over her body, Kyra felt the phantom caresses from her dreams…from her past. She scrubbed harder, wishing that if she washed herself enough she could clean away that terrible feeling. She didn't stop until her skin was red and raw; by then, the water had grown cold. Quickly, shivering under the needling spray, she washed her hair and shut off the shower.

The steam began to evaporate as Kyra wrapped her dripping body in a towel and gathered her clothes in her arms. Pushing her wet hair back out of the face, she reached for the door lock. As soon as the bolt slid back, the door was opened with the keypad on the outside. Kyra looked up, right into Riddick's shined eyes.

"Hi," she muttered, trying to slip past. Riddick stuck out an arm, propping his hand against the doorframe and blocking her way.

"You ready to talk, yet?" he asked.

Kyra looked up from under her damp hair and raised an eyebrow. "Talk about what?" she asked, striving to sound nonchalant. Riddick didn't answer her – just gave her that look. Frowning, she shook her head and pushed past him. No, she wasn't ready to talk. _And fuck him if he couldn't deal with it._

Riddick watched Kyra go, a frown creasing his brow. Finally, he sighed – there was nothing he could do if she didn't let him help her. Turning on his heel, he strode to the galley and started a pot of coffee.


	14. Distance

_Author's Note: Well, I have returned. Sorry for the long absence...but I am alive and well and have started writing again. Also, apologies for my first update in such a long time being such a short chapter - but better to post something then nothing at all, right?  
During my break, I have been doing massive editing on the bulk of this story, so some things may seem changed. Eventually, I will get around to updating the earlier chapters here - for now, just know that there will be some seeming continuity errors. I have also given up on trying to insert linebreaks - you'll just have to kind of fend for yourselves when it comes to those divisions; the function seems to be broken, and I can't get it to work. As always, I ask your forgivness for any errors you might find - spelling, factual, grammatical, or otherwise. And, as before - read, review, and enjoy._

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything Riddick-related - if I did, would I be writing fan-fiction about him?_

Kyra dumped her dirty clothes on the floor and flopped back onto the bunk. Sighing, she started at the ceiling and listened to Riddick moving around the ship. He was pissed – she could tell. Again, she wondered why she didn't just explain everything.

Finally, growling at herself, she levered her tired body off the bed. Clutching her towel tighter around her slender form, she crossed to the cabinet and pulled out some clean clothes. Changing quickly, she briskly dried her hair and ran a comb through the damp curls.

She could smell the coffee from the kitchen as she tossed her towel into the pile of dirty clothes. Making her way down the narrow corridor, she stepped into the galley and crossed to the coffee pot. Without a word, she poured herself a cup of the strong brew and leaned back against the counter.

Riddick watched as Kyra's strong hands curled around her mug – her slender fingers lacing together slightly on the opposite side. Slowly, his eyes traveled up her body, meeting her gaze and holding it. He was challenging her, pushing her. He didn't even know why anymore – just that it had to be done. When she turned away, he raised an eyebrow, but kept quiet.

Finally, Kyra broke the uneasy silence. "When do we land?" she asked softly, staring into the depths of her mug.

"A couple days." He paused. "Long enough for them to lose our scent." She didn't have to ask who he meant by "them". Instead, she took another long drink of her coffee, draining the cup. Setting it down in the sink, she propped her hip against the counter and looked at Riddick. He was watching her, his silver eyes glinting in the darkness of the galley. She felt a blush creep up her cheeks and turned away; a familiar ache started in the pit of her stomach. It bothered her that he could turn her on with just a look – just that idle glance over her body.

Growling low in her throat, Kyra shoved herself away from the counter and strode out of the kitchen. Riddick watched her go, hearing a door down the short hall shut in her wake. Closing his eyes, he inhaled the distinctive scent she'd left behind – apples and arousal _Damn, that woman did things to him…_

He shook his head and stood. Placing his coffee mug in the sink, next to Kyra's, Riddick left the galley, heading toward the bridge. He sat in the pilot's chair and called up the com systems. There wasn't really anything left to do – he'd already reset the main drives and wiped the memory. Now he sat and stared at the screen.

He'd been sitting there for a while when he heard the kid come up behind him; felt her moving around the bridge. When she leaned over his shoulder, he waited. She wanted something, but she'd get to it in her own time.

"TQS13 – how the hell did you come up with that?" she asked. Her voice was low, her breath whispering past his ear. He shrugged. Kyra raised an eyebrow, but kept silent as she moved around Riddick's chair to sit next to him. Most of the com screens were blank, but she wasn't looking at them. Instead, her eyes were locked on Riddick, waiting for his answer. He glanced at her and grunted; she kept looking at him.

Seeing that the kid wasn't going to be satisfied without an answer, he turned to face her. "TQS13 – _The Quick Silver 13_," he growled. Then he pushed himself out of his chair and moved away from Kyra, heading toward the bathroom. Closing the door behind him, he started to run the lock; just before he finished entering the code, he changed his mind. Instead, he turned on the water and stripped off his clothes. Stepping under the heated spray, Riddick gave a groan of pure pleasure – one thing he never took for granted anymore was a hot shower.

Riddick allowed himself a moment of bliss under the steaming water before reaching for the soap. Working up a lather, he let his mind wander where it would – not surprised when he began considering all the plans that had yet to be made for the upcoming stay planetside. A job was the first priority – they could stay on the ship for a bit, while he put away some money for an apartment, but he needed to be _making_ money to save it.

_Wait a minute._ When had he started thinking of him and the kid as a "they"? When had it become a given that she would stay with him – or that he would stay with her? Yeah, he liked having her around, but…when had this arrangement gotten permanent?

Riddick rinsed himself off as he turned that thought over in his mind. As he shut off the water and reached for a towel, it occurred to him that he should be pissed. Kyra had anchored herself so firmly into his life that he couldn't envision being without her. _And that's when things get dangerous_, something primitive inside him whispered. _When you stop looking out for number one – that's when you get your ass ghosted._ Growling to himself, Riddick opened the door and crossed to the cabin. He didn't want it to be true – the kid couldn't be a danger to him. But as he dressed, he started to make one more plan – one that was suddenly at the top of his list.

-

Docking in Merlow had been easier than Kyra anticipated; the mercs had either chased them off world, or had decided that she and Riddick weren't worth pursuing. The TQS13 had been assigned to a long-term slip at the far end of the spaceport, and they'd had almost no trouble settling in.

_Almost._

Riddick had been restless the last few days. At first, Kyra had attributed it to all the waiting they were doing. Then again, maybe he was just anxious at the prospect of settling down planetside for a while. But after they'd landed, Riddick had started spending more and more time in the city. He'd even stopped speaking to her unless it was absolutely necessary. _He was getting ready to leave_. She knew it, just couldn't admit it. She couldn't help hoping that this time things would be different. _He'd promised, dammit!_

Sighing, she pushed herself out of the pilot's chair and wandered back toward the exercise room – maybe she could work out some of her frustration instead of just obsessing. She hadn't been in here much lately, but as she picked out some of the faster songs on the ship's database, she felt herself falling back into the familiar routine.

The stretches were second nature to her by now, as were the combinations of steps, hits, and kicks. After a while, she felt her muscles loosen and pushed herself even harder through the sets. When she finished, she was covered in sweat and her body was aching, but her mind was calm. Riddick's attitude still bugged her, but he would get to what was bothering him in his own time.

Kyra turned off the stereo and started across the hall for a shower. Pausing to listen for any sort of threat that might have crept up while she was occupied, she heard the sound of rain tapping on the metal overhang meant to shelter the ships in long-term docking from the elements. She instantly forgot her shower and keyed open the main hatch instead. The cool evening breezed through the ship, sweeping away the compressed, canned-tasting air that the compressors pumped through the vents. Breathing deep, Kyra walked down the ramp and out from under the spaceport overhang. She turned her face up and let the rain wash the sweat from her tired body, relishing the feel of the cool water rushing over her flushed skin. As she stood there, she felt someone watching her. Turning, she thought she spied a glint of silver in the darkness of the spaceport, but it was gone before she could really be sure.

Riddick had heard the protesting squeal of the ship's hatch lowering as he rounded the corner to the long-term dock. He tensed, automatically reaching behind him for the knife he kept tucked in the waistband of his pants. Then he saw Kyra striding down the ramp…_and out into the rain?_ _What the hell was she doing?_

Relaxing, Riddick unconsciously tilted his head to watch her. With her dark hair plastered to her head, and her clothes clinging wetly to her curves, she was more than beautiful – she was almost ethereal. Riddick felt a strong pull in his gut as her delicate apple scent floated across the tarmac to him. _God, he still wanted her_.

But wanting her was dangerous – _she_ was dangerous. He couldn't control himself around her; he forgot the only rule he'd ever set for himself. The kid made him forget that he had to look out for number one – _at all costs_.

Suddenly, Kyra turned and looked over her shoulder, her silvered-green eyes searching for something in the shadows. Riddick quickly slid further into the gloom, hiding from her gaze. Her eyes found his for a brief second, then she looked away.

Riddick watched her stand in the rain for a bit longer before stalking toward the ship. "Come inside," he growled as he passed, ruthlessly forcing down the surge of heat he always felt around her. He was at the top of the ramp when she spoke.

"Don't." Something in her voice made Riddick pause. He waited until he heard her light steps on the ramp behind him before turning to look at her. "Don't start this," Kyra repeated, glancing his way as she passed him.

Riddick watched her cross the bridge and throw back the grate covering the entrance to the cargo hold. He stood still, watching until he could hear the hollow ringing of her footsteps going down the ladder; then, he closed and secured the hatch and headed to the bathroom. He had a job interview tonight, and he needed a shower.


	15. Settling In

_Author's Note: Thank you so much to those of you that have stuck with me through the long waits between postings; and thank you to those of you reviewers out there in reader-land. It is to you that I offer another chapter. Sorry about the wait (as usual). It's also kind of short, and it might not be as polished as I'd like it to be. But if I spend too much time trying to perfect it, it will never get posted. As always, I apologize in advance for any errors, whatever type they may be. So please, read, review, and enjoy._

-

Kyra sat in the cargo bay long enough for her clothes to dry. She heard water rushing through the pipes as Riddick took a shower and got ready to go out. Smoking cigarette after cigarette, she listened to him moving around above her. Only when she heard the hatch open and shut, signaling his departure, did she venture back up the ladder to the main deck.

_He'll probably come back wasted and covered in cheap perfume_, she thought, settling herself in the captain's chair. She knew it wasn't true, but the quick flare of anger at the idea of Riddick with another woman helped to burn away the dull, aching hurt inside her.

Pushing the thought out of her mind, Kyra flipped on the main com screen. She quickly accessed the local newslink and worked her way to the classified section. The list of apartments for rent was depressingly short, and as she read through the ads, it got even shorter. Most were way out of their price-range; others were too small, or in some of the worst neighborhoods in the city – the ones even _she_ wouldn't go into. Eventually, she had a couple prospects and, after sending out some messages requesting more information, she turned off the screen. Now, it was time to see how much of the spaceport she remembered – and how much of her carefully hoarded money was still hidden away.

-

Kyra was asleep when Riddick got back to the ship that night. She'd left a note about food taped to the cooling unit, but he ignored it; he was too tired to eat. Pulling a bottle of something cold out of the unit, he slumped onto one of the benches and tried to force himself to relax.

The interview had gone well; he'd gotten the job on the spot. Tonight had been his first night as the newest bouncer at downtown Merlow's Moonlight Club. Twisting the cap off the bottle in his hands, he went over the night in his head – two big brawls and four or five forced evictions. Riddick took a long drink and sighed. _Beer – thank God they had bought some beer on their last grocery run._

He finished the bottle in a few long drinks, then tossed it in the disposal unit. Groaning and trying to work the stiffness out of his muscles, he crept into the bedroom – silently thanking the kid for leaving the door open for him. He pulled off his clothes without thinking, and lay down next to Kyra. She was sleeping with her back toward him and he pulled her against him, smiling at the feel of her soft curves nestled against his body. Squeezing her lightly, he buried his face in her hair and drifted off.

Kyra had woken the instant Riddick came home. As she'd listened to him moving around, she had silently willed him to pick up on her mood and sleep on the floor. _So much for that_, she thought, as he pulled her against his hard, muscled chest. _At least he doesn't smell like her – whoever she was._ She wondered if this meant that was it – if things were going to get back to normal now. She hated the way things had gotten so…off between them. Finally, giving up on trying to think it through, Kyra allowed her body to relax back into his and fell into a light doze.

When Riddick woke up the next morning, he was alone in the small bed he and Kyra shared. He was annoyed as hell that the kid had managed to get up and out of the cabin without waking him – he was a little impressed that she'd gotten so stealthy, but still pretty fucking _annoyed_. Slipping out from under the covers he heard water running and smelled coffee. _So she's been up for a while_. Riddick quickly pulled on his clothes and made his way to the galley. As he passed the bathroom door, he could hear Kyra singing in the shower.

"I'm drunk and I'm bored, with nowhere to go. I'm sick and I'm twisted with nowhere to go…" The sound of her voice followed him down the corridor, and as he poured himself a cup of coffee he couldn't help but grin. _Where the hell did she find these songs?_ Hearing her seemed to help his bad mood; there wasn't any reason to be pissed – he'd been worn out last night, otherwise she never would've gotten past him.

The water shut off and the bathroom door hissed open, steam billowing out into the corridor. Kyra stepped out, wrapped in a towel and still singing – though more softly than before. "I'm stoned and I'm broken with nowhere to go. I'm drunk, and I'm naked so please take me home…" Glancing down the hall, she spotted Riddick standing in front of the open cooling unit with a cup of coffee. She pulled her towel tighter around her body and hurried in to their room. Grabbing some clean clothes, she dressed and quickly towel-dried her hair.

Kyra tried to finger-comb her unruly curls in a semblance of order as she walked into the galley. Moving carefully around Riddick, she poured herself a cup of coffee and peered over his shoulder into the cooling unit. "Hot?" she asked, reaching in for an apple.

"Hmm?" He looked up, confused.

"You've been standing here with the door open for a while now – I was wondering if you were trying to cool down." Growling, Riddick slammed the unit's door and sat at the table. Kyra ignored the outburst, taking a bite of her fruit. "So, I'm going into town today," she said, after swallowing.

Riddick looked up at her and cocked an eyebrow. She knew he was waiting for more of an explanation. Shrugging, she took a long drink of her coffee and set the mug down in the sink. She took another bite of her apple as she left the galley and headed for the bridge.

"Why?"

Kyra wasn't surprised to hear Riddick's voice right behind her. She looked at the com screen and jotted some information down before she replied. "I think I might've found us an apartment." Brushing past him, she grabbed her coat and lowered the hatch.

She was halfway down the ramp before Riddick even thought to stop her. Instead, he just sighed and closed the hatch. _Let her go_, he thought. She'd be hating him soon enough, anyway – why not let her be happy for a little while longer? Sighing, Riddick went back to the galley and sat down his coffee.

-

The first apartment Kyra looked at was way too small. The second one had rats. They couldn't move into the third for at least a month, because it was a crime scene in an ongoing murder investigation. On and on – all down the list. Each apartment had something wrong with it. By the time Kyra reached the last prospective apartment, she was having trouble clinging to hope. Looking up at the building, she almost groaned; it was so old it looked like it could topple over at any time. There were rusting bars over the windows, a rickety fire escape clinging to one side of the structure, and the dirty paint was peeling from the brick in big chunks. _But it's our only hope, at this point._

Stepping through the door, Kyra found the office just to the right of the building's main entrance. The harried-looking woman that answered her knock was short, fat, and probably closer to sixty than fifty.

Kyra took a deep breath and forced a smile. "Hi. I was wondering if I could take a look around the apartment that's for rent," she said, hoping her voice sounded brighter than she felt. Without a word, the woman disappeared back into the office, only to return with a key.

"It's on the fourth floor, on the right. Room four eight-seven." The woman's voice was brisk, and Kyra could just hear the sound of a soap opera coming from one of the office's back rooms. Obviously helping prospective renters wasn't this woman's first priority.

Kyra smiled and took the key, then blinked as the door was slammed in her face. Sighing, she followed a sign to the building's antiquated elevator. Just as she was reaching out to push the call button, she noticed a small cardboard sign tacked to the safety gate. "Out of Order" was scrawled in black marker; under that, she read, "use stairs".

Rolling her eyes, Kyra made her way back to the staircase. At the top of the fourth flight, she looked to the right, searching for room 487. When she found it, she sighed, bracing herself for disappointment. She didn't know what it was going to be – bugs, bloodstains, or something even worse; she just knew that something had to be wrong with this place. Fitting the key into the lock, she pushed the door open with her shoulder.

As she took her first look around the apartment, Kyra caught her breath in surprise. The door opened into a small entryway; on the right, the wall ended in an open archway, showing a cozy living space. To the left were a kitchen and surprisingly spacious dining area. Following the hallway to the rear of the apartment, Kyra found three doors. The two on the left revealed a full bathroom and storage closet. And she could see a good-sized bedroom through a door on the right. It was perfect. Kyra couldn't help grinning as she ran her hands over the kitchen countertops. Moving into the living room, she absently brushed her fingers over the walls. _It was absolutely perfect_. When Kyra left the small apartment, carefully locking the door behind her, she was excited.

Back at the office, Kyra signed the lease and paid the deposit, using most of the money she'd found after investigating the spaceport. Then she walked back to the ship, clutching the keys in her hand and smiling.

-

After drinking his coffee, Riddick had tried to work out some of his frustrations on the punching bag. When he finished his work out, he checked the time on the com panels and frowned; the kid had been gone for a while. Shrugging, he headed off to take a shower. He was just about to turn off the water, when he heard the bathroom door hiss open.

"I found us an apartment." Kyra jerked open the stall's frosted glass door and grinned up at him. "I found us a place to live, and it's perfect." Riddick growled, trying not to think about the last time she'd interrupted his shower. God, he wanted nothing more than to strip her and… Riddick yanked the door out of Kyra's hands, slamming it closed.

"Can this wait?" he rumbled, turning the water to full cold. That helped, but only a little.

"I suppose. The landlady did say we could move in whenever we wanted." Kyra started to move out of the room, pausing at the door. "I'll be in the kitchen," she tossed over her shoulder; then she was gone.

Riddick turned off the shower and dried himself. Wrapping the towel around his hips, he started to enter the cabin when something the kid said struck him. "We can move in?" he muttered to himself. Shaking his head, he made his way toward the galley instead. "What do you mean 'we can move in whenever we want'?"

Kyra was leaning against the counter, drinking a beer. Swallowing, she looked at him and grinned. "Exactly what I said. Everything's all taken care of."

Riddick raised an eyebrow. "Where did you get the money?" he asked.

"I told you I had some stuff stashed around here." She took another sip of her beer, and Riddick couldn't help watching her throat work as she swallowed.

"You managed to come up with that much cash?" Kyra nodded, setting her bottle down on the counter behind her.

"Now, all we have to do is find jobs." Boosting herself up to sit on the counter, she watched him. He looked good with that towel hanging dangerously low on his hips, and she allowed herself a moment to just drink in the sight of all that exposed flesh. Suddenly, she realized that Riddick had said something. "What?" she asked, willing herself not to blush.

Riddick had seen the kid's eyes moving over him, and he knew she hadn't been listening. "I said, I've already got a job." He started to make a comment on her distraction, then decided against it. Moving toward her instead, he picked up her beer and took a long drink.

"Yeah?" Kyra swung her legs, letting her heels kick against the lower bank of cabinets.

"Yeah." Riddick glanced at the clock they kept in the galley. "And my shift starts in about twenty minutes." Handing her the near-empty bottle, he started to leave. Then he turned back, cocked his head to the side, and grinned. "We'll move in tomorrow," he said. He smiled at Kyra's shout of joy as he headed to the cabin to get dressed.

In their bedroom, Riddick pulled some clean clothes out of the cabinet. But as he buttoned his pant, he couldn't help but feel a slight pang of regret that things were going so smoothly. His plans were falling into place quicker than he'd expected – _quicker than he'd wanted_, he realized. But as he left the ship, he had to admit that it was for the best. Having the kid around made him do stupid things; and one of these days, it was going to get them both killed.


	16. Leaving

_Author's Note: A quick update this time, but I do apologize for the lack of length. This chapter was surprisingly easy for me to write. It is, however, the last chapter for this story. But fear not! If you have stuck with me this long, and don't mind waiting, there will be a sequel. Thanks to all of you that have reviewed and kept me going, despite the large gaps between postings. The more of your reviews I read, the more inclined I am to write. So, here is my last offering for you (in this story). Please, read, review, and enjoy._

_Disclaimer: If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times (or at least sixteen), if you recognize it, I don't own it._

-

Riddick and Kyra moved their things into the apartment over the next few days. Kyra quickly found a job waiting tables at a small downtown diner, adding her paychecks to what Riddick was making as a bouncer. As the money started coming in, she bought some furniture for the small set of rooms; a bed, couch, dining table and a couple chairs – mostly second hand – and a new television. Soon, the apartment looked, and felt, like a home.

They settled down quickly, falling into a routine. Kyra worked days, they had dinner together, then Riddick left for his night shift at the club. Riddick had already started putting away as much money as he could, without the kid knowing; he wanted to be gone inside of three months. He was confident she'd be fine here on her own, but he hated lying to her. He knew that the longer he deceived her, the harder it was going to be for her to understand when he left.

Kyra noticed Riddick was still being distant; this time, it wasn't so easy to write off. Something still wasn't right between them, and damned if she knew what it was. Part of her suspected that he was planning to leave, but she just couldn't admit that it might be true. _He promised_, she told herself, shaking it off. _He promised and he meant it._

So she left Riddick alone, for the most part. _He'll talk when he's ready_. She didn't say anything about him coming in later and later every night; she pretended to ignore the fact that he usually passed out on the couch in the living room, instead of sharing the bed with her. But when Riddick stumbled through the front door late one morning, Kyra finally had to admit that things weren't ever going back to normal.

Riddick crashed through the door, weaving as he stood in the hall and tried to lock it behind him. When he finally turned around, he was surprised to see the kid standing in the kitchen, watching him. Frowning, he looked at the clock; seven thirty. _Shit_. His eyes darted back to Kyra and he attempted a smile. Just as he was about to duck into the bathroom for a shower before bed, he heard a growl from behind him.

Kyra watched as Riddick slowly turned to face her. She had her mouth open, ready to tear him a new one, when she paused. What was she going to say that was going to make any difference? But she looked stupid, just standing there with her mouth open. Finally, she managed to choke something out.

"You bastard," she said, simply. Her silvered eyes flashed, belying the even tone of her words. Then, afraid she would rush Riddick if she even stayed in the same room with him, she grabbed her keys and walked out the door.

Shocked, Riddick collapsed into a kitchen chair. _God, what had he done? He'd thought that… He'd wanted to… If only she'd…_ Rubbing a hand over his face, he leaned back and stared blankly at the mess Kyra had left on the counter. _Who the fuck was he kidding?_ He'd come home smelling like cheap perfume because it would piss the kid off; and if she was pissed, it would be easier for him to leave. After a little while, he managed to lever himself out of the chair. He cleaned the kitchen, then made his way to the bathroom.

Riddick turned the water on full hot and stripped off his clothes. Stepping into the shower, he grabbed the soap and started to scrub furiously at his skin. Once his body was covered in a thick lather, he rinsed off – then started again. He kept scrubbing until the water ran cold – long after he had washed the smell of the whore's cheap perfume away – trying to forget the look of disgust that had crossed Kyra's face before she'd stormed out of the apartment.

When he couldn't take the cold water anymore, Riddick turned off the shower and dried off. He'd fucked up. Royally. And he had a sinking feeling that this would be as good a time as any for him to leave. He had enough money to refuel and stock the ship. If he picked up odd jobs here and there, hauling cargo, he would do just fine. The kid would never have to hear from him again. The only problem was, he didn't think he was ready to leave her yet. _But it's not like you've got much of a choice now, is it, you asshole?_

As he dressed, Riddick made a mental list of the things he had to do before he took off. And, after a few phone calls to local supply stores, he strode out of the small apartment and locked the door behind him.

-

Kyra had gotten home from work to find Riddick pacing in their small living room. He'd looked up as she leaned against the doorway, absently playing with her keys. Thinking about it now, she should've known then. He'd come home late that morning, smelling like a two-dollar whore, and still she hadn't suspected a thing.

Absently, she traced the scars on her left forearm. She made it over the first few letters before her fingers started to tremble. She clenched her hand into a fist to stop the tremors, then she threw a hard punch at the wall as a strangled sob escaped her throat. Cradling her injured hand against her chest, she sank to the floor. Reaching up, she felt around the table for the cigarettes she knew would be there. She pulled one out of the pack and stuck it in her mouth, closing her eyes tight. Tears coursed down her cheeks as she dropped her head to her knees; they left small wet spots dotting her pants. Carefully, she began trying to flex her hand, biting back a little groan of pain. Her knuckles were already swelling and there was a bluish cast to them. The unlit cigarette fell from her lips as another sob escaped her. _What was she going to do now?_ Riddick was gone - God only knew where. Kyra squeezed her eyes closed even tighter, as if she could block out the memories of their argument.

"_I gotta go." Kyra's head whipped around and she stared at Riddick._

"_Where?"_

"_Doesn't matter." That old familiar feeling began creeping into Kyra's blood – something wasn't right._

"_When do we leave?" she asked._ Please, Riddick, don't do this…

"_No 'we' this time, kid. You stay." _Fuck.

_Kyra rocked back in her chair. Riddick caught the slight movement, but didn't say anything. He was waiting for her reply. "You're leaving?" was all she could manage. Then – "Why?"_ Brilliant.

"_I gotta stay away from you, kid – or else we'll both get in trouble." Kyra made a rude sound._

"_You're trying to cover you ass, Riddick." It wasn't a question. He didn't answer. "I told you that I can take care of myself."_

"_You belong somewhere stable, kid." He was trying a different track. He had to make her see…_

"_Bullshit." The reply was harsh and Riddick fought a wince. It wasn't supposed to work this way; she was supposed to understand._

"_You don't belong with me," he said._

"_Try again, Riddick." She looked at him, arching an eyebrow. "I don't belong anywhere anymore, and you know it."_

"_You don't belong with me," he repeated. "You got a life ahead of you. You can make it – stay out of slam, live well."_

"_With a botched shine? Who're you lying to, Riddick? You know I'd never get anywhere in the world with eyes like this." She stood and started toward him. "You know that as well as I do," she whispered, her warm breath caressing his skin. He turned away._

"_Don't make this hard, kid," he growled. "You'll be fine here. It's a good place."_

"You'll be fine here. It's a good place. He's a good man."

"But I don't want to stay here. I want to be with you."

"Don't make this hard, kid."

_Memories assailed her and she closed her eyes, trying to push them out of her mind. She felt Riddick's arms close around her and started shaking her head. "No. No no no. You can't leave me. That's not how it's supposed-"_

_Riddick stopped her denial with a kiss. Passion exploded between them – the familiar feeling washing them away for a moment. Riddick buried his hands in Kyra's hair, as she brought her arms up around his neck…_ Maybe he won't leave_, she thought desperately._ He wouldn't be kissing me like this if he was really going, would he?

_When they came up for air, there were tears trickling down Kyra's cheeks. Riddick stepped back and grabbed one of her packs of cigarettes. "This isn't how it's supposed to go!" she shouted. "You can't kiss me like that and just walk away." She stared at him. "It's against the goddamn rules, you asshole."_

_He turned to face her, angry that she couldn't –_ wouldn't_ – understand. "What do you want me to do? Stay here with you?" He shook his head and lit a cigarette. "I can't stay and you know it."_

"_That's not-" She had tried to stop it then - tried to take it back. But he wouldn't let her.  
_

"_You know it doesn't work that way, kid." He paused. "Settling down just isn't an option." Riddick moved to the window. Kyra sat back down and pulled her knees to her chest, following him with her eyes. He hadn't looked at her, but she knew his silvered eyes would've been dark, flashing angrily. God, she just wanted to stay with him. Why had she gone and opened her mouth? _

"_Never mind. I don't want anything," she said lamely, viciously wiping the tears from her face. "I'm sorry." Her voice was quiet, but it carried in the silent room. Riddick had looked at her then._

"_Liar," he spat. Taking a drag off his cigarette, he considered her. And when Kyra felt him come to stand next to her, she stiffened. Putting a gentle hand under her chin, he made her look up at him. "I'm sorry, too, kid," he said, seeing the pain hidden under her anger. _It wasn't supposed to be this hard, dammit!_ He paused, meeting Kyra's eyes and smiling sadly. "So, yeah, I can say things like that. I can kiss you and just walk away." Then - pressing a light, phantom kiss to her lips - he was gone. Only the smoke from his cigarette remained to prove that he'd been there at all._

"_You asshole," she whispered in the quiet. "You promised."_

Kyra leaned her head back against the wall and let the tears fall as she stared at the ceiling. When she had finally exhausted herself, she stood - still cradling her abused hand - and made her way to the bathroom; her unlit cigarette lay forgotten on the floor.  
In the blue tile bathroom, Kyra turned on the shower and let the water run as she stripped off her clothes. Leaving them in a pile on the floor, she stepped under the scalding spray and almost cried out. She quickly adjusted the temperature and let the water pour over her body. Picking up a bar of soap, she began to lather her hands. She washed everything - scrubbing until her skin was raw and pink, trying to wash the smell of Riddick away; trying to wash off the feel of his hands on her body. _There isn't enough soap in the world_, Kyra thought vaguely. _I'll never get rid of him._ And there, under the spray of the shower, Kyra's knees buckled and she hit the floor, the bar of soap still clutched in her hand.

-

Riddick stood outside the apartment, hesitating. After the fight, he'd walked out; he hadn't even grabbed any of his things. When he'd cooled down a bit, he came back, but he couldn't seem to bring himself to go inside. _Just go in, she probably won't even be there_.

Finally, he pushed open the door and stepped into the familiar entryway. He walked to the kitchen, tossed his keys on the counter, and stopped. He could hear the shower running as he quickly moved into the bedroom and packed a few of his things. He was zipping his bag he the water turned off and he swore. There was no way he was making it out of here without the kid knowing. Sighing, he started out of the room and down the hall. As he passed the kitchen, he caught sight of Kyra and paused.

"Back to get your stuff?" she asked. Her voice was soft, almost a sigh of surrender. She was wrapped in a towel, hunched over a cup of coffee. Riddick couldn't answer. His single bag hung limply from his fingers. Kyra glanced up and smiled slightly. "Yeah," she whispered, "that's what I thought."

Then Riddick dropped his bag. It landed with a soft thump on the bare apartment floor, but neither of them noticed. He crossed the small space to where she sat at the table. Crouching down, he looked her in the eyes and opened his mouth to tell her something – anything to get her to stop looking at him like that.

_I'll be back_, he started to tell her. _I'll come back for you_. But before he could make a sound, her mouth covered his. "Don't say anything," she whispered against his lips. "Don't make any more promises you can't keep." It hurt to hear her say that – hurt like hell. But he didn't push it.

Instead, he stood, lifting Kyra in his arms and kissing her hard. If he couldn't tell her anything, he would show her.

Riddick took her one last time, hard and fast, on the kitchen counter. And then he left; just picked up his bag and walked out the door.


End file.
